


Waiting For Rainbows

by Umekopyon



Series: Kibougaoka AU [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Bromance to Romance, Fade to Black, M/M, Police, Yakuza, i don't know how to tag things tbh, largely unnecessary bath scene with Ishimaru, somewhat slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-10 08:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 76,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5578090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umekopyon/pseuds/Umekopyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Kibougaoka wasn't the ideal place, but it wasn't bad. Its residents had all mostly settled for unremarkable but comfortable lives, not actively seeking out change but welcoming it if it came.  For police officer Hajime Hinata, change comes in the form of a baby-faced, foul-mouthed gangster.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... This is my first time in ages writing a multi-chaptered fic. I actually didn't plan to start writing it until much later, but I realized that this is a story I kind of need to write for myself right now, so hey, yolo. (The world is in dire need of more Kuzuhina anyway.)
> 
> So yes, this fic is mainly Kuzuhina. (I might introduce other ships later, but I'm not completely sure what, when, and to what extent.) Initial inspiration came from the manga Honto Yajuu, but it quickly morphed into its own thing.
> 
> This is an AU, but it might make vague references/parallels to spoilers from the games in later chapters, so you have been warned! The rating may change later on too, though I've never written anything M-rated before so we'll just have to see...
> 
> The title was inspired by the song "Niji o Matsu Hito" (Those Who Wait For Rainbows) by BUMP OF CHICKEN. Go listen to it! I haven't found a completely satisfactory translation of the lyrics on the internet, but you can get the basic gist of it if you search.
> 
> Thanks to CSakuraS for being my beta as always. uvu
> 
> Finally, happy birthday Hinata! And happy new year, everyone!!

Kibougaoka wasn't a bad place, all things considered.  It was a quiet residential district in Tokyo; many of its buildings were from the Showa era, most of the businesses were locally-owned, and it lacked many of the features of a bustling city life.  It wasn't the ideal place to live, but it was nice enough to settle for.

The same held true for the lives of many of its residents; though they had had great dreams and aspirations in their youth, most had met with troubles finding their desired work or hit other similar roadblocks, and had ended up settling for a less ideal, but more easily-attainable and still comfortable lifestyle.

Hajime Hinata was much the same; in fact, he had ended up falling back on his backup plan's backup plan, since... well, that wasn't really important.  Regardless, he had ended up as a police officer at the koban near the town's train station, and that was fine.  It wasn't what he had hoped to become, but he enjoyed interacting with the townspeople and helping out when needed.

There was very little crime in Kibougaoka, so his work was mostly just making the rounds and checking bicycle registrations, but it was relaxing and he made enough to support his single lifestyle for the time being.  The residents were friendly, and after two years on the job he knew most of them by name, from the local school teachers to the fast-food delivery boy.  Anytime he made the rounds in the neighborhood all but guaranteed an amicable greeting or two, usually leading into a friendly chat, so days tended to end on a high note.

It was little wonder, then, that Hinata was in a good mood that evening when he returned to the koban from making the rounds.  He stared up at the koban building as he parked his bike; it was one of the more modern buildings in the area, and frankly looked a little odd, but he quickly shrugged off the design choice—it wouldn't change, no matter how often he pondered it—and stepped inside.  "Sempai, I'm back!" he announced.

His supervisor glanced up at him briefly when he entered before turning her focus back onto her paperwork.  "Good work, Hinata-kun," she said.  Despite being a year younger than Hinata, Sergeant Kyoko Kirigiri had been on the force for three years longer and was the senior officer in charge of the koban.  "Nothing out of the ordinary, I assume?"

"Is there ever?"

Kirigiri looked up at him again, sparing a small smirk.  "No, I suppose there isn't."  She shook her head and turned back to the desk.  "You can head on home for tonight, then.  I'll finish up here."

"Sounds good." Hinata headed into the changing room to quickly change out of his uniform before returning to the front area.  "I'm going over to Kagayaki, but do you want me to pick some dinner up for you first?"

Kirigiri shook her head, not bothering to look up this time.  "That's not necessary.  I ordered some udon, which should actually be here any—"

"Kirigiri-san!"

The two officers looked towards the doorway as a familiar figure stepped inside, carrying a delivery box.

Kirigiri gave a wry smile and stood up.  "Speak of the devil.  Good evening, Naegi-kun."

Naegi grinned and set the box down on the desk.  "Evening, Kirigiri-san!  I've got your order right here."  He looked over at Hinata and bobbed his head in greeting.  "Are you headed out, Hinata-kun?"

"Yeah, I'm done for the day.  Heading over to Kagayaki for a bite to eat."  Hinata pulled his coat around him, preparing to step out into the chilly October air.  "When are you off, Naegi?  Want to come by for a drink after your shift?"

Naegi shook his head, laughing bashfully as he pulled Kirigiri's dinner from the box.  "No, I have my other job after this.  Besides, well... I mean, Hanamura-kun is nice and all, but..."

Hinata chuckled, clapping Naegi on the shoulder as he passed him on the way to the door.  "I get it.  I'll see you both later then, okay?"

"Right!"  Naegi waved him off cheerfully.  "Have a good night, Hinata-kun!"

"See you in the morning," Kirigiri added, just before Hinata stepped out onto the street.

He shivered slightly in the light breeze, pulling his coat closer around him.  Just a few weeks earlier the summer heat had still been lingering stubbornly, but autumn seemed determined to make its entrance with a vengeance.  Walking briskly to keep warm, Hinata navigated the few blocks to the local pub, eager to seek shelter from the wind.

Once he stepped into the doors of Izakaya Kagayaki, Hinata let out a relieved sigh, as if he had been holding his breath during the walk.  The familiar chatter and lighting of the restaurant was comforting, and as he started pulling off his coat, he sought out a seat at the bar.

The cook and owner of the pub looked up, instantly noticing Hinata, and gave a friendly grin.  "Evening, Hinata-kun!"

Hinata nodded at him as he sat down at the bar.  "Hey, Hanamura.  It's sure getting chilly out, isn't it?"

Hanamura leaned against the bar and smiled seductively.  "Hmm, it sure is.  Shall I warm you up tonight?"

"That's a great idea," Hinata deadpanned without missing a beat.  "I'll have the salmon chazuke then."

Hanamura stared blankly at Hinata, who smirked in response.

"What?"

The cook sighed and shook his head.  "Your reactions used to be so cute, too..."

"Hey, I've been here two years, I think I've learned your game by now."

Hanamura continued shaking his head as he filled a glass of beer and placed it in front of Hinata.  "Here's your usual then, give me a few minutes for the chazuke."

Hinata shot the shorter man a thankful grin before raising the glass to his lips.  While he waited for his meal, he looked back to see who else was there, waving to anyone who called out a greeting to him.  It was the usual crowd, which wasn't surprising; while Kagayaki was popular among the local working class, the go-to spot for twenty-somethings to spend their evenings, it didn't tend to attract clientele from out of town.

 _Just a normal night at Kagayaki, then,_ Hinata mused as he nursed his beer in silence.  Yeah, it was a pretty good life.  It wasn't perfect, but it was peaceful and predictable, which was just fine.

"Salmon chazuke!" Hanamura announced as he set the soup down in front of Hinata, just as the front door slid open with a _wham!_

Hinata and Hanamura's heads whipped toward the entrance to see a young man they had never met before.  That alone was strange enough, but as the figure approached the bar, Hinata couldn't help but notice how out-of-the-ordinary the newcomer was.  He was short—not as short as Hanamura, but still about a head shorter than Hinata, he guessed—but between the sharp pinstriped suit, the blond buzz cut, and the sour expression on the stranger's youthful face, he actually looked pretty intimidating.

The young man slumped onto the barstool two seats down from Hinata, who exchanged looks with Hanamura.  The two hadn't uttered a word since the stranger had entered, but it was clear that they were both a bit off-put by the development.

Hinata made a face at Hanamura, jerking his head towards the blond man, and finally Hanamura got the message and broke the silence, addressing the stranger.  "Hey, welcome to Kagayaki!  What can I get for you?"

"Shochu.  Straight," the man grumbled as he pulled his tie loose, obviously irritated by something.  "And lots of it."

"Right."  Hanamura's eyes flickered to Hinata for a split second before settling back on his new customer.  "Do you happen to have ID?"

Hinata barely suppressed a groan at the same time that the young man slammed his hands on the countertop with a growl and pulled himself closer to the cook, his eyes flaring in anger.  "Are you treating me like a fucking kid?!" he shouted, and Hanamura cowered back.  "Don't fucking patronize me, got it?!"

"Hey, hold on there," Hinata cut in, trying to diffuse the situation.  "Look, he cards everyone the first time they come in.  He even carded Nidai the first time."  Hinata gestured to the hulking high school gym teacher sitting at one of the low tables in the dining area, drinking alongside the elementary school's gym teacher as usual.  "It's unusual for an izakaya, but Hanamura's kind of paranoid, though I keep telling him not to be."  Hinata gave Hanamura a pointed look at this; he'd told the cook time and again that he didn't need to be so uptight, even with an off-duty police officer around.

The blond stranger pulled his mouth into a thin line, obviously still annoyed, but he sat back down on the stool, grumbling as he pulled out his resident card and slapped it on the countertop.

Hinata got only a glance of the card before Hanamura picked it up to inspect it.  All that he caught was that the guy's last name started with "Ku," and the crest printed on the card was of a town a few districts over, further inland.  So he _wasn't_ from the immediate area; why would he come to Kagayaki, then?

"Okay, looks good," Hanamura said, handing the card back to its owner.  The young man swiped the card back and huffed as he tucked it away, while Hanamura poured the liquor.

Hinata ate his soup absently while watching the stranger out of the corner of his eye.  He was obviously of drinking age if Hanamura actually served him, but as he downed a glass of the hard liquor and demanded a refill, Hinata had to wonder if he actually had the tolerance for straight shochu.  The guy was pretty tiny, after all, and he wasn't even eating anything with it.

Sure enough, the alcohol was soon obviously taking effect, and the man was still ordering more drinks despite his head laying on the counter.

"Er..."  Hinata spoke up tentatively, pushing his empty soup bowl away.  "Are you sure you should still be drinking?  You're not looking so great..."

"Shaddup," the stranger murmured, his words muffled against the countertop.  "I can drink what I want."

Hinata glanced at Hanamura, who just shrugged helplessly.  "You should at least eat something though.  The yakitori is pretty good—"

"Leave me the _fuck_ alone!" the man yelled, slamming a hand against the counter.  "Owner!  Another drink, _now_!"

Hinata caught Hanamura's eye and shook his head sharply—the stranger was obviously getting more belligerent with each drink.  Hanamura was always painfully spineless in such situations, however, and Hinata sighed as yet another glass of shochu was poured.

And so it continued, the blond man lifting his head from the counter only to demand another drink, dropping back to the table once the glass was empty.  Before long, he stopped lifting his head completely.

Hanamura looked at Hinata, panic evident in his eyes.

"I told you to stop filling his glass," Hinata said.

"I-I know you did, but he..."  Hanamura trailed off and nervously shook the stranger by the arm.  "Sir?  Are you all right?"

The blond man stirred and slowly lifted his head, and relief flooded Hanamura's face, only to disappear again when the man pointed a finger straight at him.  " _You._ "

Hanamura was obviously flustered.  "Y-yes sir?"

"Y'know what?"

"Yes...?"

There was a pause as the stranger simply stared at the cook through unfocused eyes, until finally he slurred, "Yer a _fuckin'_ good man."

Hinata almost expected Hanamura to make a lewd joke out of that, but he was clearly too bewildered to be in his usual promiscuous mood.  "I... thank you?"

"Yeah."  The blond man laid his head back on the counter, fiddling with his empty glass, but no longer demanding that it be refilled.  "Too many fuckin' kids drinkin' underage these days, and too many goddamn fuckin' dumbasses just lettin' them get away with it.  But yer a good guy, checking IDs.  Keep bein' good."

Hinata couldn't help being amused despite himself.  It was like the stranger had become so abrasive that he just looped back around to cordiality.

"People fuckin' suck in general.  Too many dumbasses in this world.  Really pisses me off.  And you!"

Hinata was surprised to find himself being addressed this time.  The short man lifted himself up and moved over one seat, so that he was sitting right next to Hinata.  He leaned in closer, eyes trained directly on Hinata's, and Hinata had to fight not to squirm and look away.  If there was one thing he was self-conscious about, it was his eyes, and he definitely was not comfortable with a complete stranger staring right at them.

"You've got nice eyes."

 _What?_  Hinata blinked down at the smaller man, who still hadn't backed off.  He actually thought his eyes were nice?  Even though those bizarre stress lines hadn't faded yet?  Hinata raised a hand to his face awkwardly as he felt a strange warmth flooding his chest.  He felt... flattered?  Was that what it was?

The blond man still hadn't moved, his eyes unfocused, and the situation was getting exponentially more uncomfortable with every passing moment.  Hinata finally tried breaking the silence.  "Uh... Could you back off now?"

The stranger didn't respond at first, didn't even seem to be completely aware of the situation anymore, but finally his gaze focused on Hinata again, his brow furrowing.  "I feel sick."

"Okay then!"  Hinata quickly extricated himself from the awkward position and jumped off the stool before the contents of the other man's stomach ended up on his shirt.  "Let's get you out of here, all right?"  He grabbed the stranger by the arm, having to bend down significantly to support him on his shoulder, then pulled out a small wad of bills from his pocket.  "Here, Hanamura."  He slapped the money into the counter.  "This should cover my stuff and his."

Without another moment to spare, Hinata grabbed his coat and escorted the man out of the pub.

* * *

Once they were out of the pub, Hinata took a grateful breath of fresh air before shifting his shoulder slightly to be supporting the other man in a more comfortable position.  "Hey, you feeling better?  Can you walk at all?"

An irritated grumble was all he got in response, so Hinata sighed and got ready for the trek.  "Let's get you a taxi so you can get home."

"What are you doing?"

Hinata jumped slightly, then struggled to look over his shoulder to see who had called out to him.  A woman in a tailored black suit was walking briskly towards him, her glasses glinting under the streetlamps, silver hair swinging in a single braid.  "Uh..."

"Let me guess."  The woman had caught up to them, and she sighed as she gave the smaller man a once-over.  "He drank himself into a stupor, didn't he?  I knew I should have gone in with him..."

Hinata blinked at the woman blankly.  She seemed to have a covered sword of some sort slung across her back, and on impulse he almost asked if she had a license to carry, but he decided there were more pressing matters.  "Do you know this guy, then?  I was about to take him to the main street to hail a cab..."

"That won't be necessary," the woman answered sharply before pulling out a phone in a single smooth motion.  She turned her back on them momentarily, speaking inaudibly into the phone, before hanging up and turning back to level Hinata with a stern stare.  "I've called for a car to pick him up.  Thank you for tending to the young master, but we can take it from here."

"A car?!"  Hinata couldn't help but to let out a surprised yelp.  No one drove cars in Kibougaoka... He wasn't even sure the streets were wide enough to accommodate a car.  And did she just call him "young master"? _What the hell is going on here?_

Before even a minute had passed, Hinata heard the growl of a motor from around the corner, and sure enough, a sleek black car barreled down the street, stopping on a dime in front of the pub.  He gaped openly at the sight, nearly losing his grip on the inebriated man in his shock.  Was that a... a Benz?  Hinata honestly didn't know much about cars, but one of his friends from high school did, and this was definitely one of the cars Hinata had seen him drooling over in automotive magazines back in the day.

Hinata's head was spinning as he tried to process it all.  None of this happened in Kibougaoka, ever.  Sure, sometimes that Togami guy would show up to check up on his family's business investments, but that was different, somehow.  It was more... wholesome?

Hinata froze while helping the smaller man into the car and turned to stare at the woman, earning a quizzical expression in return.  He looked between the two strangers, feeling like pieces were slowly clicking together as his body moved on autopilot.  The suits, the car, the very aura surrounding these people... There was definitely something shady about them.

Once the man was safely placed inside the car and the door closed, Hinata stepped back cautiously, unsure of what he was supposed to do.  The woman regarded him carefully once more before giving a slight bow and disappearing around the other side of the car.  A moment later, the car was driving away, around the corner and out of sight.

Hinata stared after where the car had disappeared, gears still spinning in his head.  That was... was there any other explanation for what had just happened?  Surely there must be.  There just had to be.  Because Kibougaoka was peaceful, quiet, and quite frankly, boring.

So why in the world would there be yakuza there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kazuichi Souda is relegated to an unnamed cameo.
> 
> I tried to find a real-world explanation for the lines in Hinata's eyes. There is none, but I think what I came up with is probably good enough!
> 
> "Kibougaoka" means "hope's hill," eheheh. (Less impressive-sounding than "hope's peak," and also sounds more like the name of a suburb!) No relation to Kibogaoka in Yokohama.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Any and all comments, questions, and criticisms are more than welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Originally I planned to get this chapter done and posted before the end of January. Now March is almost over and this isn't even all of what I had planned for chapter 2 (it got too long). Ahahaha.
> 
> I didn't mention this in the last chapter's notes (because I ramble too much and it was already getting too long), but if you didn't already guess, this is a non-Hope's Peak (and thus non-Despair) AU. I've nerfed the skills/legacies of most characters to something more commonplace (eg. the Kuzuryu Clan is much smaller and less influential; Kirigiri does come from a family of detectives, but it's not some secret cabal of ultra detectives like in canon; etc.).
> 
> Also, this particular chapter is unbetaed for now, so any and all errors are my own! I'll make any needed changes at later date when my beta isn't busy.
> 
> Finally, please enjoy!

By the time the ordeal was over with and Hinata came back to his senses, he realized that he had missed the last train of the night. He groaned as he stared at the time on his phone; even if he tried to take a cab back, it would still be past curfew, and the dormitory doors would be locked until morning.

He leaned against the doorframe to Kagayaki's entrance as he swept a finger across the phone screen, navigating to his contacts list and scrolling through it. Maybe he could stay with a friend for the night... Naegi would be working the graveyard shift at the convenience store and probably wouldn't be home until Hinata had to leave for work, so that wasn't an option. Hanamura would be closing up for the night soon, but if Hinata wanted to get any sleep before work then crashing with him wouldn't be a good idea. Not that Hanamura would do anything inappropriate to him—he knew full well that he wouldn't—but he _would_ try to make him watch... certain videos all night long. So that was out.

Hinata sighed and scrolled back up to the Ks. If he was going to stay with someone, his only option was Kirigiri—there was no police dormitory for female officers within commutable distance, so she had her own apartment in Kibougaoka. But staying at her place overnight... He tapped his phone against his forehead, thinking.

No, he couldn't do that to her. Staying with Kirigiri could cause too many problems.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and paced in front of the pub as he thought. Was there a cheap hotel or manga cafe nearby that he could stay at? Probably not. Maybe he could spend the night at the koban?

He stopped in his tracks. The koban. That was probably his best bet. It wouldn't be very comfortable, but there was a break room in the back, which should be good enough for one night. He'd just need to ask for the key.

Taking out his phone again, he dialed Kirigiri's number.

* * *

"No, you can't stay at the koban."

Hinata's shoulders slumped as he tried in vain to hide his exasperation. "I can't— But you told me to come all the way here to pick up the key!"

Kirigiri blinked up at him expressionlessly from her doorway, arms crossed. Despite the stern look, she looked a bit younger than usual, dressed in casual clothes and with her hair draped over her shoulders, free from the loose bun she kept it in at work. "I told you to come here, but I never said I'd give you the key." She stepped back and held the door open. "Like I said, you can't stay at the koban. Now come inside."

"Sempai."

Kirigiri met his gaze again, slight annoyance tinging her features as Hinata gave her a meaningful look. There had always been an unspoken agreement between them not to talk about her situation, and though Kirigiri seemed to prefer to ignore it outright, Hinata wasn't just going to potentially make things worse for her.

Kirigiri gave a short sigh and turned on her heel, long hair whipping behind her. "Just stop worrying about ridiculous things and come inside."

Reluctantly, Hinata followed her into the one-room apartment. There was no arguing with his sempai once she had decided on something, and he knew that full well.

"You can borrow the spare futon," Kirigiri instructed as she pulled the bedding out of the closet and handed it to Hinata. "Lay it out on the floor over there. The public bath is closed by now, so you'll have to make do without for tonight."

"Thanks," Hinata muttered as he spread the futon as instructed. "Sorry about this."

"I said it's fine."

They fell into silence, but Hinata could feel her gaze boring into his back. Finally unable to take it any longer, her looked over his shoulder at her. "What?"

She continued staring with her arms crossed, a gloved finger tapping her arm thoughtfully. "So what happened?"

"Wh- nothing happened, really." Hinata turned away again, becoming flustered by her expressionless gaze. "I drank too much and missed the last train, that's all."

"I'm sure you can think of a better lie than that," Kirigiri immediately responded, shooting down the falsehood easily. "I can tell you barely even had one drink."

Hinata grimaced. With such keen observation skills, it was entirely unfair for her to be stuck manning some middle-of-nowhere koban.

"Well?"

"Some weird new guy showed up, all right?" Hinata stood, having finished setting up the futon, and turned to face Kirigiri directly. "He got wasted so I helped him find a ride home, and it took longer than expected."

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow. Hinata knew she could tell that he wasn't divulging all the details, but she relaxed her stance, apparently letting it slide. "All right, then. Let's leave that there and turn in for the night. I'm not going to let you sleep in."

"Wouldn't expect you to." Hinata shrugged off his overshirt and gratefully crawled into the futon, ready to put the entire night behind him. "Good night then, Sempai."

"Good night."

The lights flicked off, and Hinata stared into the unfamiliar darkness. His body felt heavy with exhaustion, but now that he had his thoughts to himself again, his mind was swirling with even more questions than before.

Why hadn't he given Kirigiri more details about the man from the pub? Wouldn't it make sense to tell her his suspicions about yakuza activity in the area? The best explanation he could think of was that he didn't want to make any accusations before he was entirely sure of the situation himself, but wasn't that a naïve—and frankly, dangerous—way of thinking?

It was stupid to try and hide anything from her, anyway. She obviously knew there was more to his story, and had he been anyone else, Kirigiri wouldn't have let up on him so easily. His stomach churned with guilt at the thought. Kirigiri wasn't one to freely give others her trust, and it was thanks to the two years they had worked together that such a bond had been built between them. Hinata was taking advantage of that trust for some reason that he couldn't even pin down.

In the sleepy recesses of his mind, he considered that perhaps it was something he didn't even want to admit to himself. But that didn't make sense. Truth mattered to Hinata more than anything else; why would he run from the truth when he lived to expose it? It was why he had wanted—

Sleep tugged incessantly at the corners of his mind, and Hinata abandoned that train of thought in favor of much-needed rest. Even if he decided to confide in Kirigiri, it was too late to be starting that conversation, so he finally relinquished himself to the realms of unconsciousness.

* * *

Hinata awoke slowly the next morning, feeling almost worse than he had the night before. His trousers had wrinkled uncomfortably as he tossed and turned overnight, and his mouth tasted like sleep and stale beer. He groaned and huddled under the covers, feeling completely unwilling to greet the morning chill wearing a sleeveless undershirt. He knew he had to get up eventually, though, so he stuck his hand out from under the sheets, feeling around for wherever he had tossed his button-up the night before.

He yelped in surprise when something wrapped in crisp plastic packaging was dropped on top of his hand, and he pulled down the covers just enough to glare up at Kirigiri. "What was that?!"

"If you stopped being a baby and actually got out of bed, you'd see that it's a toothbrush."

Hinata frowned and reluctantly sat up, shivering as goosebumps prickled his bare arms. He quickly located his shirt on the floor and slipped it on before picking up the brand-new toothbrush lying by the futon. "Did you go out and buy this?" He blinked blearily at his sempai; now that he looked at her properly, she _was_ already dressed to go outside.

"I can't have you coming into work in such a mess." Kirigiri didn't look at him as she rummaged through her refrigerator, pulling out an energy drink and considering it before packing it in her shoulder bag. "The least you could do is brush your teeth before we head out."

With how disgusting his mouth felt, Hinata was more than happy to oblige. "Thanks," he muttered, standing up and walking to the sink. "I'll pay you back."

"Don't bother." She shot him an unimpressed look before handing him a tube of toothpaste. "Just hurry up and get ready. We're already running later than I'd like."

"Later than Kirigiri would like," Hinata noted as they walked out of the apartment and he checked his phone, was a full forty-five minutes before their posted service time. He didn't complain, however, and they walked the few blocks to the koban in silence.

The sun had barely risen above the horizon by the time they arrived. Once Kirigiri had unlocked the front door, Hinata gratefully followed her inside, ready to finally change out of his clothes from the night before... but he paused halfway to the changing room, glancing down at Kirigiri next to him.

She quickly noticed his gaze and returned it with a tired expression. "What is it?" she asked, though Hinata could hear the unspoken _"Don't bring this up"_ behind her words.

"Nothing," he sighed, and he entered the changing room, Kirigiri following after.

Usually their arrival and departure times were slightly staggered, enough that they didn't normally have to deal with the dilemma of there being just a single changing room to share. On the occasion that they did have to occupy the room simultaneously, Hinata couldn't help the feeling of helplessness, the dull anger towards the system bubbling in his gut. Kirigiri, however, never said a word about the situation, silently disappearing behind the makeshift curtain they had hung across the room.

Hinata sighed again as the curtain was swiftly pulled closed, then quickly got to work at changing into his uniform and making himself look as presentable as possible. Kirigiri never emerged from her side of the room before Hinata had finished changing, and he was fairly certain that wasn't a coincidence.

And as he fell into his normal daily routine, preoccupied with his concerns over the precinct's myopic ways, Hinata nearly forgot all about the stranger from the night before.

* * *

Hours later, when Kirigiri was out on patrol, Hinata sat alone in the koban, adjusting his hat awkwardly. He didn't usually wear it indoors, but he hadn't been able to get his hair to sit quite right that morning—not that it was ever completely tamed in the first place—so he had decided to just hide it under the regulation cap. After several hours with it on, though, the hat's inner band was beginning to irritate his scalp, so he ducked into the restroom to try to fix his hair once again.

Placing the hat on the edge of the sink, Hinata leaned forward to study his reflection in the mirror. His hair looked even worse now, between the unfamiliar sleeping conditions, a night without a bath, and hat hair on top of all that. He groaned and wet his hands under the faucet before running his fingers through his hair, trying to make it look somewhat presentable.

He caught a glimpse of his own eyes reflected back at him and instinctively averted his gaze, but suddenly, words from the night before echoed in his mind.

_"You've got nice eyes."_

Hinata paused, fingers stilling in his hair. That's what that stranger had said to him, right? Granted, they had been the meaningless ramblings of a drunkard, but...

His arms lowered to grab the sink as he leaned slightly closer to the mirror, daring to meet his own gaze. He had been unnerved by his own eyes for the past several years, ever since those strange stress lines had appeared partway through college. The pale rings around his pupils, bizarre lines slashing diagonally through his olive-colored irises—those weren't the same eyes that had met him in the mirror for the first twenty years of his life. They had become the eyes of a stranger, foreign and unwelcome, a constant reminder of his own failures.

That was, of course, his own subjective view of them; he was well aware that most of his distaste towards his eyes was colored by his own personal feelings. But he had, more than once, seen a stranger on the train recoil upon making eye-contact, noticed a child staring with innocent but unrestrained confusion, so he knew he wasn't alone in finding them strange.

He had never been _complimented_ for them before.

Hinata frowned at his reflection before finally stepping back and placing his hat back on his head, deeming his hair to be a lost cause until he got home. What was with that guy from the night before, anyway? His immediate impression was that he was involved with the criminal underground, but was that a hasty judgment to make? Kirigiri often said that approaching a problem with preconceptions about what the solution must be was a dangerous route to take...

At a loss of how else to proceed, Hinata tried to reorganize his thoughts.

Fact: Hinata had never seen the man before. He had been a stranger to Hanamura as well, or at the very least, Hanamura had never served him alcohol before. Hinata was fairly certain it was the former.

Fact: The man had been wearing a pin-striped designer suit. It was the type of attire often seen in mafia films, but drawing that parallel would be mere conjecture at that point, so Hinata left that train of thought where it was.

Fact: The man had been upset. That was a fair assessment to make; more specifically identifying him as being "angry" or "frustrated" was too speculative for Hinata's liking, but "upset" was vague enough to work with.

Fact: The man complimented others when sufficiently drunk.

...Hinata wasn't sure how that was relevant to the issue.

Fact: The man had been referred to as "young master," and had been picked up in an expensive-looking foreign car. Hinata wasn't exactly sure of the make of the car, and was wishing that he had gotten a photo of it to send to Souda to identify, or... damn, he could have even snapped a picture of the license plate as it left! Hinata was mentally kicking himself for his inaction the night before.

Hinata quickly reviewed his thoughts, and decided that he had probably exhausted all the hard facts he could glean from the encounter, but for good measure, he added one last item to his mental list.

Opinion: The whole situation just seemed shady.

He had nothing concrete to back up that assessment, but he just couldn't bring himself to disregard it, no matter how much he might want to.

As for theories to be drawn from that list... the one that made the most sense to Hinata was that the man had been a young yakuza, probably of high rank in the organization, who had messed up some sort of deal and stopped by Kagayaki to drown his frustrations with alcohol.

That... seemed plausible enough, Hinata decided, but it still didn't sit well with him for some reason he couldn't quite identify. There wasn't much known yakuza presence in the area; there were a few companies on back-alley streets that were suspected of being shell corporations or otherwise having ties with the yakuza, but nothing major. Was a clan starting to move in to claim the territory, then? Kirigiri would probably be able to make a better assessment of the situation, so perhaps he'd just bring it up with her...

Hinata tapped the edge of the sink thoughtfully, staring at those damnable eyes of his in the mirror, when suddenly he realized he had been standing there for _far_ too long—probably close to ten minutes, and he was supposed to be on duty. Standing upright and adjusting his hat one last time, he headed to the front of the building and sat heavily at the desk, ready to put the whole thing out of his mind.

Until he abruptly realized that he had another investigative path available to him, literally right in front of his nose.

He _could_ check the computer to see if he could find any relevant files.

Hinata stared for a moment at the old CRT monitor sitting on the desk. The information database available to a small koban like theirs wouldn't be very in-depth—he'd have to go to municipal headquarters before even hoping to do any intense digging. But if the man had been from any prominent yakuza family active in the general area, there should be _something_ he could find.

The problem was that he didn't know the guy's name.

Hinata sighed, frustrated with himself for being unable to just put the matter to the side even temporarily. Even so, he jiggled the mouse and waited for the aging computer to slowly wake up.

Once the computer was fully awake, Hinata opened up a search query, then paused as he debated how to continue. He wouldn't be able to even begin searching without something to go on, so he thought back to the short glimpse he had gotten of the stranger's residence card. He had vaguely recognized the town crest stamped on the card, but the name of the town hadn't immediately come to him, and he couldn't recall the exact design of the crest. The only other detail he had noticed was the first character of the man's last name, "Ku"—the kanji for "nine." With nothing else to go on, he quickly typed the character and hit the search button.

...And of _course_ he should have expected there to be far too many results to sift through.

Hinata groaned and buried his head in his hands. The hits included not only the countless people whose names contained the character, but also place names and any text mentioning anything in quantities of nine. Even with most dates and case numbers opting to use Arabic numerals instead of kanji, it was an overwhelming volume of results and Hinata gave up after skimming the third report involving someone from Kyushu. But maybe if he did just a general search for known yakuza clans in the area...

"What are you doing?"

Hinata jumped in his seat; he had been too engrossed in his research to notice Kirigiri returning from patrol. "Nothing!" he insisted, hurriedly closing out of the search results.

...and he immediately wondered why he was trying to cover it up. Hadn't he decided to ask Kirigiri for her input?

She stared down at him, raising a quizzical eyebrow. Obviously Kirigiri knew that he hadn't been doing "nothing."

Hinata grinned sheepishly in return. "Seriously, I wasn't doing anything important," he said, voice calm even as he internally berated himself for keeping Kirigiri in the dark. "It's nothing to worry about."

Kirigiri stared at him for a moment longer before shrugging and turning away. "Well, I know you wouldn't do anything inappropriate on there, so it doesn't really matter."

Hinata just laughed lightly as he watched Kirigiri disappear into the break room, though his mind was still in a state of confusion over his own actions. Apparently there was a part of him that didn't want Kirigiri to know about his suspicions, but why? He trusted her, and he knew that if he just shared the information it would make figuring out the mystery that much easier, but... he didn't want to.

That's all it came down to, if he were perfectly honest with himself. He didn't want Kirigiri to know that he'd met a potential yakuza. If she knew, then she'd—

She'd what?

Hinata looked up at his superior officer as she emerged from the break room, twisting open a bottle of water. Kirigiri took her job seriously—she couldn't afford not to—and for some reason that meant that Hinata didn't want her to know about the stranger.

Kirigiri shot Hinata another odd look. "You know you're going out to do the rounds in an hour, so whatever's going on with you, I hope you snap out of it soon."

Hinata hoped so too, but he somehow doubted it would happen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to stay away from making culture/translation notes for this fic, because I feel like they're sort of distracting as well as largely unnecessary, since most things I reference are obvious from context or at least easily googleable. That said, if you see anything you're genuinely stumped by, please don't hesitate to ask about it!
> 
> The next chapter should be out much quicker than this one was! Also, a little request from me to you guys: I'm looking for honest critique on my characterization for Hinata. He is coming faaaaar too easily to me when I write, to the point that I feel like I must not have it quite right since I'm not really thinking it through? So if you notice anything I could fix, please please do let me know! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Today marks my fifteenth anniversary on fanfiction.net! (though I've only been on AO3 less than a year ahaha) I wanted to post something for the occasion so... chapter 3 of Rainbows it is!
> 
> This is unbetaed, again (I still haven't gotten up the nerve to bug my beta to look at chapter 2), so any and all errors are my own.
> 
> And I... actually don't have much else to say this time? So I hope you enjoy!

"Hinata-kun!  Where were you last night?!"

Hinata bit back a groan and leaned his forehead against his door, halfway through unlocking it.  After finally making it back to his dormitory that evening, all he wanted was to wash up and go to bed; was that so much to ask?  "Hi Ishimaru," he sighed regardless, hoping for the conversation to drop there.

Ishimaru didn't seem to take any note of Hinata's exasperation, however, and continued his line of questioning.  "You didn't give any prior notice that you would be absent last night!  What is this meaning of this?"

Hinata grit his teeth, resigning himself to the inevitable.  Most officers became somewhat lax about the dormitory rules after a few weeks, but even after being there for a year, Kiyotaka Ishimaru was just as insistent as ever that he and others adhered to them.  Hinata liked the guy just fine—forceful though he was, Ishimaru was passionate and good-natured—but Hinata was really reaching his limit and needed some time to himself to wind down.

He took a deep breath and turned to face his hallmate, forcing an apologetic smile.  "Yeah, sorry about that.  I accidentally missed the last train and had to stay with a friend last night."

Ishimaru studied Hinata with some measure of skepticism.  "What friend?  We officers are the face of order, so we can't be engaging in unwholesome relations, you know!"

"Yeah, I know, I stayed with Naegi," Hinata said without a second thought.  He didn't like to lie, but Ishimaru was not the person to let know that he had stayed at a woman's apartment, especially that woman being Kirigiri.  "It's nothing to worry about, all right?  But I'm tired now, so I just wanna take a bath and get to sleep, so if you'll excuse me..."

Ishimaru immediately brightened, the stern frown melting from his face.  "A bath!  Yes, that is a most excellent idea.  Would you mind if I joined you, Hinata-kun?  What better way to build camaraderie between men than to bare our bodies and souls!"

Hinata had to suppress another groan.  All he wanted was to have a relaxing bath to calm his nerves, but being a communal bath, he really had no right to refuse others from using it.  "If you want, sure.  I'm not sure I'll be much good conversation partner tonight, though," Hinata said.

"Excellent!"  Ishimaru laughed heartily.  "I'll go gather my bath essentials, then, and I will meet you there!"

As the raven-haired man disappeared down the hall, Hinata gratefully opened his door and stumbled into his dorm room.  He sat down heavily on the floor and, as his muscles relaxed against the tatami, he seriously considered standing Ishimaru up for their bath date.

That sounded _really_ weird and Hinata vowed to never think that phrase ever again.

He hadn't bathed in two days, though, so he couldn't rationalize going another night without a bath.  Sighing, he picked himself back up and gathered together his towel, shampoo, and a change of clothes before heading to the dormitory bath house.

When he arrived at the locker room, Hinata noticed that there were a few storage compartments already occupied by other residents' belongings, so he wouldn't have had the bath to himself even if Ishimaru hadn't shown up.

"Ready to get in, Hinata-kun?"  Ishimaru appeared at Hinata's side, already stripped of his clothes with a towel about his waist.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh lightly.  "Give a guy some time to get undressed, will you?"  He pulled his shirt up and over his head, then looked back at Ishimaru.  "You can go on in before me.  I'll be there in a minute."

"Very well!  I'll be waiting for you, then!"

Hinata sighed as Ishimaru disappeared into the bath, then returned to undressing himself.  After wearing much of the same clothes for two days, it was a relief to finally replace them with a clean towel around his waist, though he wouldn't feel completely refreshed until after washing himself off.

Upon entering the bathhouse, he wasted no time in washing his hair and body, then turned to the large bathtub to look for Ishimaru among the other men.

"Hinata-kun, over here!"

Hinata grimaced as Ishimaru's voice echoed off the walls.  "You don't have to yell, I see you," he answered, walking over and stepping into the blissful warmth.

Hinata sighed as he lowered himself into the bath next to Ishimaru, relishing in the hot water as it lapped against his skin.  He let Ishimaru lead the conversation as he relaxed, only half paying attention to his hallmate's anecdotes from his own post a few stations east of Kibougaoka.  Ishimaru was plenty passionate about the job, and cared a great deal for the wellbeing of the citizens, and though Hinata wasn't exactly paying attention to the words, the warmth behind them helped to calm down his swirling mind.

"So!  How have things been on your end, Hinata-kun?"

"Me?"  Hinata had lowered himself far enough for his chin to brush the water surface, and he sat back up slightly so that he wouldn't swallow any water while talking.  "Er... things have been..."  Now that his thoughts had slowed to a comfortable crawl, he found it difficult to pinpoint what exactly he should talk about to maintain a conversation.

One thing was for sure, though: if he didn't want Kirigiri to know about the potential yakuza, then there was no reason to tell someone he had only known for half as long.

"Things are fine," he said finally.

Fortunately, Ishimaru didn't pry—nor even seem to think that he should, for that matter.  "Excellent!" he cheered.  "The less incidents there are to speak of, the better, after all!"

Hinata laughed, hoping it didn't sound as nervous as he felt.  "Yeah, I guess so."

Well, there hadn't been any _actual_ incident yet, strange encounters at the izakaya notwithstanding.  So that much was true.

"And how has Naegi-kun been, anyway?  He should come by and visit sometime!"

Hinata stared blankly at Ishimaru for a moment, the gears in his head struggling to figure out why Naegi would come up in the conversation, before he remembered—right, he had claimed to stay with Naegi the night before.  "He's fine.  Busy."  Hinata sat up further; it was starting to feel like he might fall asleep in the water if he wasn't careful.  "He works three jobs, and your koban's pretty out of the way.  I still can't figure out how he accidentally got off the train at your station that one time."

Ishimaru laughed at the memory.  "Yes, that's a bit of a mystery!  But a little bit of mystery is a fine way to spice up life, don't you think?"

Exhaustion setting in full-force, Hinata laid his head back against edge of the bath.  "At this point I just want some goddamn answers..." he muttered.

Ishimaru tilted his head inquisitively.  "About why Naegi-kun got off at the wrong station?"

Hinata blinked up at the tiled ceiling for a moment.  "No, not that," he sighed.

"Then what?"

Rather than elaborating, Hinata pushed himself up into a standing position and stepped out of the bath.  "Sorry, Ishimaru, but I'm about to fall asleep.  Not even sure what I'm talking about anymore."

"That's definitely a sign that you should get get to bed!" Ishimaru agreed.  "It wouldn't be good for your health to fall asleep in the bath, after all!"

"Forget being bad for my health, I'd probably die."  Hinata suppressed a yawn before adding, "Good night, Ishimaru."

"Good night, Hinata-kun!  Make sure you get a good rest!"

Hinata felt like he was moving on autopilot as he left he bathhouse and got dressed, and before he knew it he was in his own bed for what seemed like the first time in ages.  He closed his eyes, finally feeling at ease, and blond-haired strangers were the furthest thing from his mind as he slipped into restful sleep.

* * *

 

The next day was, thankfully, completely normal.  Hinata went to work as usual, he did his job as usual, and he was finally beginning to put aside what had happened two nights earlier.  It seemed like it was just going to be some sort of one-off occurrence that wasn't going to become relevant to his life ever again.

He left work as normal and headed towards Kagayaki, grateful to return to his usual life.

"Hinata-kun, there you are!  Thank goodness!"

He hadn't taken more than a single step inside the pub when Hanamura's voice reached him, and the panic tinging his words made Hinata frown.  "Yeah, I'm here," he said cautiously, pulling off his jacket.  "Is something wrong?"

"Ohh, Hinata-kun, it's terrible!"  Hanamura was obviously agitated, wringing a rag between his hands.  "I was just about to text you, I'm really glad you showed up..."

Hinata approached the bar in long strides so that the pub owner wouldn't have to keep yelling across the store.  He leaned against the bar and lowered his voice to a more respectable volume.  "Just spit it out, Hanamura.  What's got you so spooked?"

"It's that guy!  From two nights ago!"

Hinata looked off to the side, mouth drawing into a thin line.  Of course.  It would have been ridiculous to think that everything might have just ended like that.  "What about him?"

Hanamura gripped the rag so tightly Hinata thought it might very well rip in half.  "He's here!  He rented out space upstairs and is demanding to— to speak with you."

Hinata inhaled deeply through his nose, trying not to openly sigh in exasperation.  Of course it wouldn't end so neatly.  Of course the guy would be back.

Of course Hinata would end up being involved.

"Fine," Hinata breathed as he pushed away from the bar, standing straight.  So the guy was waiting for him upstairs.  The second floor of Kagayaki was for larger parties, and was partitioned off into six different rooms, one of which the stranger had apparently rented out to wait for him.  "I'll go talk with him.  Which room is he in?"

"Hinata-kun..."

Hinata turned back to Hanamura, who still looked excessively nervous, despite the fact that Hinata had just said he'd deal with it himself.  "Yeah?"

Hanamura paused for a moment before he finally spoke again, meeting Hinata's gaze directly.  "He rented out all the rooms.  The _entire_ second floor."

_That_ got Hinata's attention.  From Hanamura's reaction, it didn't seem that the guy had rented out the entire second floor for its intended capacity of 72 people.  "Fine, I'll go up and meet with him," Hinata sighed, folding his jacket over his arm and getting ready for whatever was awaiting him on the second floor.

It really didn't seem to bode well.

He climbed the rickety stairs and upon reaching the top he opened the door to the party room, only to be met by a silver-haired woman in glasses.  Thinking back, Hinata realized this must have been the woman he encountered two nights earlier, the one who had called for the Benz.  She was even still carrying that covered sword across her back.  "Uh, hi," Hinata managed to choke out, not entirely expecting to run into someone at the very entrance to the room.

The woman looked him over quickly, her emotionless eyes betraying no clue to her intentions.  "Hello.  The young master is waiting for you inside.  Allow me to lead you to him."

She spun on her heel efficiently, and Hinata followed as she briskly walked into the room and towards the innermost partitioned area.  The one where the occupants would be least likely to be heard from the hallway, Hinata couldn't help but note.  The woman opened the sliding door to the small room and gave a shallow bow.

"I've brought him to you, Young Master."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks," came the mumbled reply from inside.

There, lounging casually at the low table, was the blond-haired stranger that Hinata hadn't been able to figure out, ever-present scowl on his face.  Hinata had to suppress a nervous gulp; the atmosphere really felt like he was getting into something dangerous.

The man pointed at Hinata.  "You, come on in and sit.  We need to talk."  He turned his gaze then to the woman standing dutifully by the door.  "You can go do whatever, you know.  I don't need you watching over every little thing I do."

"After what happened the other night, I must beg to differ."

The man grumbled under his breath, his hand fisting around a glass on the table—it seemed to be filled with water instead of booze this time, Hinata noted with some amusement.  "Just go, Pekoyama," he finally ground out.

The woman—Pekoyama, apparently—bowed once more before closing the sliding door, her footsteps fading away as she returned to her post by the hallway.  Once she was gone, the man turned his steely gaze onto Hinata.  "So.  You're Hajime Hinata."

Hinata felt a chill run down his spine and he froze for the briefest of moments, halfway through lowering himself into a sitting position.  "How... do you know my name?" he asked cautiously as he folded his legs underneath him.

"The cook told me."

Hinata clenched his jaw, feeling like he was just barely holding back a scream of irritation.  He would _really_ have to talk with Hanamura about not giving his name out to people who were _probably the fucking yakuza._

He licked his lips, hoping that his voice wouldn't crack with how dry his mouth felt.  "And you are?" he prompted.  Hinata would _not_ be put on the defensive in this conversation—he needed to retain some control—but at the same time he hoped he didn't come across as too antagonistic.

The stranger, however, didn't seem to take offense—if anything, the sourness in his expression seemed to wane.  "Ah, right.  I'm Kuzuryu.  Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu."

_Kuzuryu._  Hinata repeated the name in his head, determined not to forget it before returning to the koban the next day.   _If I even make it out of here alive,_ he thought grimly.

There was a brief silence as Kuzuryu seemed to study Hinata from across the table—his eyes were a clear golden color, Hinata realized suddenly.  They were rather striking, and Hinata wondered why he hadn't noticed them two nights earlier, when they had been in much closer proximity.

Finally, Kuzuryu nodded minutely to himself and took a sip from his glass.  "Feel free to eat anything you want, by the way," he muttered, gesturing at the plates of appetizers that had been set out on the table between them—karaage, edamame, tsukemono, and more.

Despite having shown up at the izakaya for dinner, Hinata suddenly wasn't very hungry at all; the very idea of eating had his stomach churning with nausea.  He shook his head, not entirely trusting himself to be able to open his mouth to even speak.

Kuzuryu shrugged, then reached for the chilled bottle of water to refill his glass.  "Suit yourself.  It's not like I poisoned it or anything."

_The fact that you'd even think that doesn't inspire much confidence!_  Hinata clenched his fists against the fabric of his pants, fighting the urge to shout that retort out loud.  That probably wouldn't go over very well in such a touchy situation... but just as Hinata thought that, he realized that something didn't seem quite right.

He actually couldn't sense much danger at all anymore.

"So," Kuzuryu continued after placing the bottle back on the table.  "How long have you been around here?"

Hinata stared blankly for a moment; was Kuzuryu engaging him in _small talk_?  Further confirmation that the situation wasn't as shady as it had originally seemed should have been somewhat comforting to Hinata, but on the contrary, it was only making him more tense.

Was Kuzuryu trying to bring his guard down?  He couldn't risk falling for the bait if that were the case.

"I've been working in Kibougaoka for two years now," Hinata answered, trying to mask the caution in his words.

"Hmm..."  Kuzuryu hummed thoughtfully, eyes trained on his glass as he swirled the water within it.  "Nice place?"

What in the world was going on?  Kuzuryu was being... _amicable_ , and Hinata had no idea how to take that.  "It's nice enough.  It's not the best area, but it's nothing to complain about."

Kuzuryu's gaze flicked back to Hinata's direction, and he leaned forward slightly, arm propped atop the table.  "You really think that?  You have no complaints about being stuck here?"

_Stuck..._  Hinata frowned at the shorter man.  Was he stuck in Kibougaoka?  He could think of a few residents who could be described as being "stuck" there, but as for himself...  Brows furrowed in frustration, Hinata finally found the nerve to take charge of the conversation.  "What did you call me here for exactly, Kuzuryu?"

Kuzuryu stared at Hinata for a moment longer, and Hinata couldn't exactly pin down the expression in those golden eyes; skepticism?  No, it was almost like he was being studied like a specimen underneath a microscope; Hinata tried not to squirm awkwardly upon making that connection.  What the hell was going on?

"Right," Kuzuryu sighed, leaning off of the table and back into a casual sitting position.  "Anyway.  It seems like I caused you some trouble the other night."

"Uh, well..." Hinata considered how best respond to that.  "I mean, yeah, you got pretty damn plastered there, but it wasn't exactly, er..."

Kuzuryu grimaced.  "Sorry you had to see something unpleasant, then."

_You've got nice eyes._

The words immediately shot to the forefront of Hinata's memories, and he stubbornly pushed them back again.  "It wasn't... that unpleasant.  Though you probably shouldn't do that again."

"Shut the fuck up, I've heard more than enough of that from Pekoyama already."  Kuzuryu grumbled and reached a hand into his inner jacket pocket.  As he pulled out what seemed to be an envelope of some sort, he said, "So anyway, part of why I called you here was to pay you back for the trouble."

He tossed the envelope upon the table, and as it landed in front of Hinata he saw a few crisp bills slide out, Yukichi Fukuzawa's face staring up at Hinata ominously.

Hinata's stomach dropped.  It was an envelope stuffed with ten-thousand yen notes.

"I can't accept this," he said immediately, pushing it back across the table.  "I think you've vastly overestimated how much your bill came to, so—"

"Are you a dumbass?"

No, Hinata wasn't a dumbass, and he knew perfectly well that the money wasn't meant to cover what Hinata paid of Kuzuryu's bill.

He wasn't entirely sure what the small stack of notes _was_ meant for, but none of the possibilities he could think of were anything good.

"I'm not taking it," Hinata repeated firmly.  "Look, I don't know what was going on with you that night, but it's none of my business, and I'm not going to be telling anyone about it anyway, so you can take this back.  Seriously."

Kuzuryu growled, his hands fisting on the table.  Hinata could tell that he was doing a fantastic job of pissing the guy off, but he wasn't going to back down.  "I'm not giving you this for fun, you know.  This is a matter of pride, jackass.  I don't wanna be owing anyone any favors.  You really wanna piss me off over a little bit of cash?"

"Haven't you considered that maybe you're encroaching on _my_ pride here, too?" Hinata growled back, aggravation steadily rising.  "I didn't help you because I wanted some sort of compensation for it, that's just bullshit.  I wouldn't be a police officer if I wanted—"

"The hell did you just say?"

Hinata froze, his blood chilling in his veins as he realized what he had just admitted to.

There was no longer he could logically deny that Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu was yakuza.

And he had just told that very gangster that he was an officer of the law.

Hinata knew that he must have gone pale at that moment, and his head swum as he watched Kuzuryu's face, in contrast, grow ever redder in rage.  "I— That is, I—"

"Get the _fuck_ out of here," Kuzuryu snarled.

Hinata felt like he was going to faint, and he swayed as he reached for his coat, hoping that he could stand up properly to make an escape.  "I— wait, I'm not going—"

"Get the _FUCK_ out of my face, you _goddamn fucking cop_!!"

Hinata shot straight upwards, wobbling just slightly on his feet as he dashed to the sliding door and out of the partitioned room.  As quickly as his feet could take him, he ran past Pekoyama into the hallway and down the stairs, taking them two at a time, not even bothering to answer Hanamura's concerned questions as he sped out of the pub.

Shit.   _Shit._

Kuzuryu was definitely yakuza.

And he knew that Hinata was a police officer.

Hinata was one hundred and ten percent sure that he'd be dismembered, encased in concrete, and dropped into Tokyo Bay before the night was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't know how happy I am to finally be free from exclusively calling Kuzuryu "the man," "the stranger," etc.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe that I've been grappling with this chapter since APRIL?? Because I swear to god it's 100% true. This thing was a giant mess and I'm so glad to finally get it out of my hair, ahaha.
> 
> So I have a tentative update schedule for this story now (keeping in mind that I'm horrid at keeping my own deadlines, but there are milestones I want to hit in this fic by certain times, so I'm gonna try my hardest!). Starting in September, I'm shooting to update once a month, within the first two weeks of each month. August is uncertain at this point—I'm currently vacationing in Iceland, and while I made damn well sure I found the time to finish this chapter up, I can't say whether I'll have the time for writing during the rest of my trip. I'll try to have something for next month, but no promises!
> 
> And that should be about it. Many thanks to my beta CSakuraS for putting up with my moaning and complaining about this chapter for the past few months. To everyone else, I sincerely hope you enjoy!

Frankly speaking, Hinata was pleasantly surprised to find that he woke up alive in his bed the next morning.

He stared up at the familiar ceiling of his dorm room blankly, the blaring of his cell phone alarm cutting clarity into his sleep-addled thoughts. That disastrous meeting with Kuzuryu hadn't been a dream, had it? He groped for his phone next to his bed and turned off the alarm, then brought it close to his face when he noticed that he had some new text messages.

Yawning, he checked the texts. The first was from his ex-girlfriend, one of her stream-of-consciousness messages that he didn't always quite understand, but that was quickly pushed from his mind when he noticed the next text, sent by Hanamura.

_> Why did you run out like that? Did something happen?!_

Hinata groaned, dropping his phone onto the mattress. So it _hadn't_ been a dream. Not that he had really thought it was, but he didn't understand, then, why he'd still be alive and unharmed. Kuzuryu must have realized that he had given Hinata enough evidence to piece things together, and on top of that, he had found out that Hinata was a police officer. His days had to be numbered at this point. No, that was an overstatement; there was no way a yakuza syndicate would allow him to live for even a single day longer. Wouldn't it be entirely too risky to give a police officer enough time to report back to work with this information?

Unless Kuzuryu wasn't actually yakuza? There was still the minute chance that Hinata was completely off-base, but logically, he knew he was only fooling himself at this point—he wasn't even sure why he kept entertaining the possibility. He shook his head and picked up his phone again, scrolling through the rest of the panicked texts Hanamura had sent during the night. Hinata wondered if he had really looked that spooked as he left the night before or if Hanamura was just overreacting.

...It was probably the former. Hinata couldn't remember much about how he managed to get home the night before, the commute a rushed, panicked blur, and to top it all off…

He was still in bed, hidden under the covers with his phone. And the chill creeping through his veins had absolutely nothing to do with the early morning temperature.

Fucking _yakuza_.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Hinata tapped out a reply to Hanamura.

_> I'm fine._

He read the short string of characters over and over, not allowing himself to hit "send" on the message until he could actually feel the veracity of the words.

He was fine. Just fine.

Those yakuza movies where mobsters could appear out of literally nowhere to eliminate their enemies were just that: movies.

Even if they did show some modicum of truth, Hinata had his police training to count on. He had a black belt in judo.

He was fine.

With a heavy sigh, Hinata finally sat up in bed and sent out the text message before standing up and stretching. God, he felt horrible.

As he groggily made his way through his morning routine, he tried to fight the impulse to check every corner he passed. It was ridiculous, he knew—even if the yakuza were to sneak up on him somewhere, he was in a _police dormitory_. They couldn't so easily get into such a facility.

Really, it was the outside that was the issue. The train would be a problem, too—contrary to the safety in numbers adage, a packed rush hour train car would only offer that much more camouflage for a would-be attacker.

Hinata cursed himself for hesitating at the exit once he was ready to head to work. Maybe he should have tried to track down Ishimaru; the younger officer would always offer to make the commute together if they happened to cross paths in the morning, and Hinata would always turn him down because it was a ridiculous idea when they'd only be on the same train for two minutes. This was perhaps the only time it would actually make sense to have someone as support, but Ishimaru, as punctual as he was, would be long gone already.

He shook his head and pushed the door open, stepping outside at last. There was no need to get someone else involved; it was light out. Barely so, granted, but enough that he could be reasonably certain he wouldn't be attacked out in the open.

Hinata wondered if perhaps all the worrying was paradoxically indicative of a calmer mind. He certainly hadn't been fretting about his surroundings as much the night before, too preoccupied as he was with being a panicked mess. At least now his thoughts were relatively focused and under control.

Yeah, he liked that interpretation.

Just as he had convinced himself, he arrived at the train station without incident, swiping his fare card and walking through the turnstile as if on autopilot. He boarded the train, keeping aware of those around him, and grabbed hold of the handrail as the train pulled away from the station.

Three stops. Hinata only had to make it through three stops before he'd arrive at Kibougaoka, and then he'd be... well, there wasn't really any reason to assume Kibougaoka would be more "safe" than anywhere else, but at least he'd be on his home turf, so to speak.

He tensed up a bit as the train slowed, coming up on the first stop—Shimo Kitazawa was an interchange station, and the bustle of passengers changing trains would make it even harder to keep stock of his surroundings.

Sudden movement at his hip made Hinata jump and glance around, earning himself some confused stares from other passengers, but the panic quickly dissipated when he realized it was just his cell phone vibrating in his pocket.

Hinata took out the phone and glanced at the screen; a text had come in from Hanamura.

_> Are you sure you're fine?_

Hinata leaned his full weight against the handrail, frowning at the screen thoughtfully. _Was_ he fine? He liked to think he was, but he found himself watching the other passengers cautiously as they shuffled past him onto the station platform. He was... a little paranoid, he had to admit, but he thought it was a reasonable level of paranoia for his situation. Would that be considered "fine"?

The train pulled away from Shimo Kitazawa, and just as he was beginning to consider how to answer, the phone vibrated again in his hand.

Hinata frowned further at Hanamura's new text before shoving the phone back into his pocket. The cook had come to the wrong assumption about the source of his distress, and while he would need to respond to it eventually, it would only be one more issue weighing on his mind if he followed up. Best to put it to the side for the moment.

The next two stations passed uneventfully, and Hinata found himself exiting Kibougaoka station, blinking dumbly in the daylight. As he turned and made the short walk to the koban, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that he was actually arriving at work unscathed.

"What's wrong with you?" were the first words from Kirigiri's mouth when Hinata walked in the door. "I thought you managed to get a proper rest the other night, but now you look even worse."

"Do I?" Hinata laughed shallowly. It was a rhetorical question; he fully believed that he looked as awful as Kirigiri was implying. "It's... a long story," he said dismissively as he headed into the changing room. "Don't worry about it."

Later that morning, Hinata sat at the computer again and brought up a search query, just as he had two days earlier.

Sure enough, his search yielded plenty of results. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu was undeniably yakuza.

All things considered, it was a rather anticlimactic revelation.

* * *

Apparently the Kuzuryu Clan was a yakuza group that was active in the Tama region of western Tokyo.

Hino, Machida, Fuchu... there were numerous reports of activity connected to the Kuzuryu Clan from the cities in that area. As he clicked through the various files that came up, Hinata even found the address for the group's main office in Hachioji.

He frowned and sat back in his chair, staring at the computer screen. Hachioji wasn't exactly close; it was probably a forty-five minute drive by car. What reason would there be for members of the Kuzuryu Clan to be showing up in Kibougaoka?

Unless the group was trying to expand its reach into the special wards. Hinata wasn't exactly an expert in the criminal underground, but it would make sense for the more populous areas of Tokyo to present more business opportunities. Kibougaoka was located in Setagaya, which seemed to be the logical first step into the special wards, at least geographically.

And if Kibougaoka hadn't yet been "claimed" by another yakuza group...

He sighed and closed out of the files, leaning back in the chair as he processed the information. Yakuza dealings were more of an inevitability than anything, so it honestly shouldn't have been so surprising that it would rear its ugly head eventually. Hinata had just never really expected to be so _directly_ involved in whatever was happening.

Kirigiri peeked her head out of the break room, considering him carefully. "Are you done with the computer? It's your turn to make the rounds."

"That time already?" He glanced at the clock on the computer screen and hefted himself to his feet. "Guess I'll get going, then. See you later, Sempai."

"You know that I'll figure it out eventually, right?"

His hand on the doorknob to leave, Hinata froze. He turned back to look at Kirigiri, who leaned against the door frame leading to the break room, a stern look on her face. "What?"

"Whatever it is you're not telling me. I'm going to figure it out." Kirigiri's gaze was steady, arms folded across her chest. Her words weren't a boast, or even a challenge; they were a simple statement of fact, and they both knew it.

Hinata gripped the doorknob harder, but he didn't look away from Kirigiri. "I—" His mouth was dry, and after a false start, he tried again. "Sempai, I can't really talk about this right now. I have to go out on patrol..."

She sighed and pushed away from the doorframe, breaking the spell between them. "Indeed you do. Go on, then." She waved a hand at him, shooing him out the door. "I'm just reminding you that there's an easier way for both of us."

 _All of this trouble would be avoided if you would just tell me._ He knew the meaning of her words, and he honestly agreed with them, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell her. He wasn't even sure why anymore; it was bordering on ridiculous. "Right. I'll be going now, then."

"Take care, Hinata-kun."

Once he was out the door, Hinata sighed and made a beeline for his bicycle resting against the koban exterior. He was grateful for the opportunity to get some fresh air. Perhaps it would help him to sort out his thoughts, and he'd finally be able to confer with Kirigiri about what he knew.

When he turned around, ready to head out on his normal route, he paused.

There, standing across the intersection, was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. He was dressed more casually than he had been during their previous meetings, wearing a loose vest over a button-up shirt, but there was no denying that it was Kuzuryu.

Hinata squeezed the brakes on his bicycle thoughtfully, considering his options. Kuzuryu didn't seem to have noticed him yet, instead staring up at the koban building. If Hinata were to take his normal route around the neighborhood, he'd have to pass right by where Kuzuryu was standing, but it would be easy enough to take the next road over and evade the blond entirely instead. Just as he decided to take that route, however, Hinata noticed Kuzuryu's quizzical expression.

_That's the face of a newcomer to Kibougaoka, all right._

The thought came unbidden, but as soon as it crossed his mind, Hinata couldn't help but laugh. Kuzuryu wasn't actually that much different from anyone else, was he?

Before he even realized it, he was crossing the street to approach the other man.

"Hey!" Hinata called out, shaking Kuzuryu from his reverie. "Something wrong?"

Kuzuryu scowled, regarding Hinata carefully before answering. "Nothing's wrong with me, but what the _fuck_ is up with that building of yours?!"

"Hey, it's not _my_ building," Hinata retorted, glancing over at the black-and-white structure. Kuzuryu's reaction was definitely typical of anyone seeing the koban for the first time; it wasn't often that people see a police station built in the shape of a teddy bear's head. "It's been like that since before I was assigned here. Something about some corporation sponsoring the reconstruction of the old koban, and that's the design they insisted on." He grimaced. "Pretty unsettling, right? It's worse at night. That one red eye lights up when it gets dark."

Kuzuryu gave a small huff. "More like fucking creepy."

Hinata laughed lightly for a moment, before stopping abruptly and glancing at Kuzuryu. What was he _doing_? He had just engaged in casual conversation with a yakuza without giving it a second thought. Not only that, a yakuza that he had fled from in a panic the night before. A yakuza who had had Hinata fearing for his very life ever since. Yet he had approached him and initiated conversation as if they were on friendly terms.

From the look on Kuzuryu's face he had come to the same realization, and was equally perplexed by it.

"Uh... right." Hinata shifted awkwardly. "So... are you here for a reason? I mean, I wouldn't think someone like you would just want to hang around near a police station."

Kuzuryu's eyes narrowed and he took a step back, crossing his arms. "So you did figure it out."

"I kind of had a feeling from the start, honestly."

"Well, you're not an idiot, I'll give you that."

Hinata studied the shorter man for a moment, contemplating the guarded stance. "I mean, I'm not going to arrest you or anything. I don't think just knowing your family background is enough to establish probable cause."

Kuzuryu gave a short laugh in response. "No wonder you cops are a fucking joke, pussyfooting around doing your jobs like that. I take it back, you _are_ an idiot."

Hinata grinned, leaning forward on the handlebars of his bicycle. "I just prefer to have a broader view of a situation before taking action. There's a difference between 'wrong' and 'unjust.'"

A strange look fell upon Kuzuryu's face, which Hinata couldn't quite identify; it seemed to be somewhere between contemplative and uneasy. "You're a pretty shitty cop, aren't you?"

"I'd give you an answer to that, but there's so little policing to do around here that I don't really know myself." Hinata raised an eyebrow at the yakuza. "Are you here to change that?"

"That's my business, not yours." Kuzuryu reached into his vest then and Hinata felt his body instinctively tense up.

The next instant was a blur as everything seemed to happen at once, all in the space of time that it took for Hinata's bicycle to fall to the ground. As handlebars and pedals clattered against the sidewalk, Hinata stood stock still, head spinning from the brief rush of adrenaline, his hands gripping Kuzuryu's sleeve and shirt collar in the very beginnings of a shoulder throw. Kuzuryu stared up at him wide-eyed, his immobilized hand holding onto what he had taken out from his vest pocket.

Hinata felt an embarrassed flush dusting his cheeks when he saw that it wasn't a knife or gun or any other sort of weapon. Kuzuryu was holding out several thousand-yen notes.

Hinata hadn't been in danger of anything more than a papercut.

"S- sorry..." Hinata muttered as he released Kuzuryu from his hold. The blond-haired man took a step back, readjusting his shirt, and looked at Hinata. He didn't seem to be mad, but that strange expression from earlier had returned. Hinata shifted uncomfortably under the gaze.

Kuzuryu's mouth opened briefly before snapping shut again, as if second-guessing what he had been about to say. He gave a long sigh, running a hand through his short hair, then stepped closer again. "Here," he said, and shoved the money into Hinata's chest. "I still haven't repaid you for the other night."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Hinata murmured, taking the money and putting it in his pocket. "That's a much more reasonable amount."

Kuzuryu scoffed and averted his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. I still owe you for helping me out, though. Doesn't sit right with me if I don't repay my debts, so if you don't want what I offered last night, you better think of something else."

"I don't think helping you out of the bar is really anything worth repaying..."

"Just shut the fuck up and think of something."

Kuzuryu glared up at Hinata, challenging him to refuse, but for some reason Hinata didn't find those golden eyes to be as intimidating as he had before. He wasn't sure if it was the fault of Kuzuryu's more casual attire or simply the fact that he knew just a little bit more of the man now, but he just wasn't as frightened as he probably should have been.

As he mulled that thought over, Hinata spoke without fully realizing what he was suggesting. "How about we just chat a bit, then?"

Kuzuryu blinked at him again, the glare dissipated completely. "What?"

"Uh, yeah." Hinata struggled to get his thoughts in order, not completely believing what he was saying, but at the same time feeling like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Just walking around the neighborhood and talking, you know? Because..." _Because chatting with you is fun._ Hinata was surprised at himself even as he thought it, but he immediately recognized it as the truth. Admitting it aloud seemed wrong on several levels, though. "...Because you're new to the area, right? I can show you around while we talk."

Kuzuryu studied him cautiously—and Hinata couldn't blame him for his apprehension, really. "You know there's no way in hell I'm spilling family secrets."

"I wouldn't expect you to. We'll just talk about normal stuff."

"And that's really all you want to call it even?"

Hinata cocked his head thoughtfully; no matter how relatable Kuzuryu might seem at the moment, he couldn't forget that he _was_ yakuza, so he shouldn't be too careless in closing negotiations. "Maybe. Let's just put that aside for now and start walking, all right? I'm supposed to be on patrol."

Kuzuryu hesitated a moment longer, but then he slowly nodded in agreement. "If you say so. Can't promise I'll be much of a conversational partner, though."

"You'll do fine," Hinata assured him, and as he started walking his bike along the route, Kuzuryu fell in step beside him.

There was a slight awkwardness between them as they walked along the sidewalk, but for some reason, it just felt _right_ to Hinata, and it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps that was why he had been trying so vehemently to deny the other man's involvement with the yakuza. He wasn't exactly sure what his aim was yet—friendship? He had never really _tried_ to make friends with someone before, it was more something that happened naturally, but was a friendship between a police officer and a yakuza something that _could_ develop naturally?

Did that have to make a difference?

"You're awfully quiet for someone who wanted to talk."

Hinata blinked, shaken from his thoughts, and grinned bashfully at Kuzuryu. "Sorry about that. Uh..." He looked around a bit, trying to figure out how to break the ice, when he noticed something else that was different from their previous meetings. "Hey, that woman from before... Pekoyama? Was that her name?"

"Yeah... Why?" Kuzuryu looked over his shoulder and peered around for himself. "Do you see her? I told her to go off and do whatever she wanted, but knowing Peko she's probably tailing us anyway."

"Ah, no, I was just wondering if she was your bodyguard or something. But you pretty much just answered my..." Hinata trailed off as a thought occurred to him, and a chill ran down his spine. "Wait, if she's watching us, then when I grabbed you just now..."

Kuzuryu grinned smugly up at him. "Yeah, you're damn lucky you stopped when you did."

Hinata felt the blood drain from his face, and he squeezed the bike's handlebars anxiously. All of a sudden he was more aware of his own mortality than ever.

"Hey, relax." Kuzuryu punched Hinata's shoulder lightly, bringing him back to his senses. "She wouldn't kill you. Well, not immediately. Probably."

"I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason that's not very reassuring."

Kuzuryu gave a short laugh, and Hinata found himself smiling as well.

"So no plans to kill me in the near future?"

"Fuck no. You're..." Kuzuryu paused and looked up at Hinata thoughtfully. "Well, all that matters is you're staying alive. For now."

"Gee, thanks," he replied dryly. "But if I'm not at risk of losing my head right now, can I ask a question?"

Kuzuryu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Depends on what you're asking."

"Nothing about your family business, I promise," Hinata said quickly. "Or if it is, it's something _you_ brought up first. See, last night you said that the money was only the _first_ item on the agenda."

Kuzuryu was silent a moment before he sighed and scratched his head. "Damn, you actually remembered that."

"It's sort of my job to be attentive." Hinata tilted his head, looking down at Kuzuryu curiously. "So what was that?"

Kuzuryu didn't immediately respond, only walking by Hinata's side in silence. After a full thirty seconds, he finally spoke up. "Look, I mean, when I was drunk as all hell the other night. I didn't say anything weird, did I?"

Hinata felt his cheeks flush slightly. "Weird like what? I mean, you definitely said some... interesting stuff."

Kuzuryu groaned. "Fuck me, I knew it." He then turned to Hinata and shot him a piercing glare. "You better spill if you know what's good for you."

Hinata floundered awkwardly. Did he really have to repeat it himself? "Well you... told Hanamura he's a good guy. Because he doesn't serve alcohol to minors."

"Shit, that's not weird," Kuzuryu grunted. "Kids are out of control these days. What else?"

"What else?" Hinata averted his eyes. "What else? Err..."

"Oh just spit it the fuck out."

Hinata sighed, scratching his head bashfully. "Well, actually..." He looked away, not entirely sure what kind of response his admission would get, but knowing it wouldn't be good. "You said I have nice eyes."

To his surprise, Kuzuryu didn't explode in a flurry of obscenities at those words; instead, he groaned, holding his head. "Man, I knew it would be something weird... Okay, look." He turned to Hinata purposefully and held out a hand to bring Hinata to a stop alongside him. He glared up at Hinata seriously. "I didn't mean that in a gay way or anything, all right?"

"Of course not," Hinata agreed readily. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he'd feel about having a yakuza gangster lusting after him, but he wasn't eager to find out. "I mean, it was just drunken rambling. Nothing serious, right?"

If he had to be honest, though, he was a little bit disappointed that the only compliment he had ever gotten about his eyes hadn't been genuine. _Why would I want to be complimented by a yakuza, though?_ he thought to himself.

"Hmm..." Kuzuryu didn't immediately agree to Hinata's assessment, stepping around to peer up at Hinata directly. "Well, I'm not really sure. Can I take a look?"

Hinata blinked. "At what?"

"At your eyes, dumbass!"

"Wh—" Hinata flushed slightly and let his gaze flicker to look around, at anything besides the shorter man standing right in front of him. "I— I mean, why would you... That's kind of..."

"Stop fucking fidgeting and let me take a look," Kuzuryu growled, and without another warning his hand flew upward and grasped Hinata's necktie before pulling him downwards, their faces mere inches apart.

Hinata was at a loss of what to do. He could feel Kuzuryu's breath ghosting across his face lightly, and _holy shit_ , this was a lot more awkward and hard to reason away when the other party was completely sober. What the hell was going on?

After a few agonizingly long moments, Kuzuryu gave an affirmative grunt and released Hinata's tie. "Yeah, I thought so."

Hinata stood upwards, grateful for the opportunity to put some distance between them again, and straightened out his tie. "You thought so what? What was that even about?"

Kuzuryu glanced sideways up at him, grinning cheekily. "What the hell are you even doing in a dead-end place like this?"

Hinata felt entirely like the conversation had skipped about four subjects, because he honestly couldn't understand how the discussion had jumped to that question all of a sudden. "Sorry, what?"

"That look in your eyes," Kuzuryu clarified, pointing to his own golden eyes. "They're not resigned and lifeless like so many other dumbasses in this nowhere town. You've still got fight in you that obviously tells that you're not ready to just settle with what you have. So what are you doing as a cop here, and what is it that you really want to do?"

Hinata stared at the other man, absently placing his fingers by his eye. "You... can tell that much just by looking at my eyes?"

"It's not some supernatural shit or anything," Kuzuryu said, shrugging. "In my business, you've gotta be able to tell at a glance when those working under you aren't up for the tasks you need to get done, and the eyes say a lot. The more specific assessment comes from other observations... such as your willingness to trash-talk the decisions of your employers." He smirked up at Hinata smugly.

"I wasn't trash-talking them!" Hinata retorted. "I mean, if you're talking about that creepy bear thing, that's just common sense."

"Uh-huh." Kuzuryu didn't sound entirely convinced, which Hinata found somewhat infuriating. Sure, he had various issues with the very police force he worked for, but had he really made that so obvious in his short conversation with Kuzuryu? "You haven't outright denied my assessment otherwise, though."

"What, that I don't want to be a cop?" Hinata tilted his head thoughtfully. "I mean... I can't deny that, really. It's not that I don't enjoy the job I do in keeping the people safe, but you're right, it's not what I want to do in the long-term."

Kuzuryu hummed thoughtfully. "You're not one of those justice-loving fucks who's looking to go even bigger to see that the right thing is done, though."

It had been more of a statement than a question, and Hinata grimaced at the realization that Kuzuryu really _had_ read him that well. "It's not like I'm against the idea of justice, but I'm not all that into it, either," he said thoughtfully, then realized that perhaps that wasn't something a police officer should be admitting. No use taking it back now, though. "I'm more into truth, I guess you could say."

"Truth, huh?" Kuzuryu gave a short laugh. "And you thought joining the corrupt police force would be the best way to go about that?"

"I..." Hinata paused. "Actually, I had wanted to be a detective, not an officer."

"Yeah, that's so much better," Kuzuryu sneered. "A detective for the police? That's not about pursuing the truth, it's about finding evidence to support the conclusion those fucks have already decided on."

"Well, maybe that's true, but..." Hinata trailed off and averted his gaze. Truthfully, a police detective wasn't even what he really wanted to be either, but...

Kuzuryu shrugged. "Whatever, it's not like I give a shit. So why are you in this dump instead of shooting for whatever exam or crap to become a detective?"

"Kibougaoka's not a dump," Hinata retorted, pointedly avoiding the actual question at hand. "It's not super nice in terms of accommodations, sure, but it's an okay place. Quaint, I guess."

"Quaint. Sure." Kuzuryu rolled his eyes. "Use whatever pretty words you want, but I don't like it."

 _Why are you here, then?_ The question was right on the tip of Hinata's tongue, but he bit it back, knowing that, at best, he wouldn't get an answer. "Why don't you like it?" he asked instead.

Kuzuryu looked up at Hinata, eyebrow cocked curiously. "I—"

"Young master."

Hinata tried not to yelp and jump at the sudden appearance of Pekoyama. He wasn't entirely sure where she had come from, but all of a sudden she was standing right in front of them both, staring coolly at her master.

Kuzuryu, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit fazed by the woman's surprise appearance. "Something up?"

Pekoyama glanced briefly in Hinata's direction before looking back at Kuzuryu to answer. "You haven't been paying attention to your phone. You're being called back to the main house."

"Are you serious?!" Kuzuryu grumbled indignantly, fishing a sleek black smartphone from his vest pocket. "Had the damn thing on silent.. Shit, I hafta go all the way back there just to come back again in a few hours? What a fucking waste of time!"

Pekoyama didn't seem to share Kuzuryu's frustration—she didn't seem to show much of any emotion, really. "It's by your father's request, so we should hurry back now. The car is waiting two blocks over."

Kuzuryu grumbled as he scrolled through his phone, presumably checking missed text messages, but nodded his agreement. "Yeah, let's get going, then. Hinata," he turned to address the taller man, "I'll talk to you later, all right? I'll be around, whether I like it or not." Raising a casual hand in farewell, Kuzuryu turned to follow Pekoyama to their ride.

"Ah... Wait!"

The words were out of his mouth before Hinata realized what he was doing, and when Kuzuryu turned back, raising a quizzical eyebrow, he gaped helplessly for a moment before managing to formulate something resembling words.

"Your... phone number." Suddenly the pieces fell together, and Hinata couldn't help but grin, knowing exactly what he wanted to say. "Or your texting email. Let's swap contact information, and then we can call the debt even."

Kuzuryu was looking at Hinata like he was insane—Hinata couldn't really blame him, either. "What the hell for?"

"Nothing weird. Maybe we could get drinks together sometime. Or just, you know, chat. Like we were just now."

"I'd call that pretty weird, dumbass."

Hinata laughed; his cheeks felt awfully warm. "Maybe, but I think we had a pretty good time talking just now, didn't we? Social politics aside."

Kuzuryu frowned and exchanged glances with Pekoyama. The silver-haired woman looked thoughtful for a moment before leaning over to whisper something in Kuzuryu's ear. Whatever she said made Kuzuryu scowl further, and he backed away before turning to Hinata gruffly. "Fine, whatever," he said, holding up his phone. "If that's what you want to call it even."

Hinata pulled out his own cell phone, studying Kuzuryu carefully. "We don't have to exchange information if you really don't want to. It was just—"

"Didn't I just say it's fine? Just hurry it up and do the infrared thing, my old man's gonna throw a fit."

Hinata quickly obliged, transmitting his contact information over infrared and receiving Kuzuryu's in turn. He stared at the new entry in his contacts for a moment, his lips twitching upward in what could only be a smile. It was weird.

"All right, so, I've really gotta go now." Kuzuryu stuffed his phone back into his pocket and turned on his heel to follow after Pekoyama. "You get back to sucking at your job, okay?"

Hinata laughed and waved them off. "Something like that. Talk to you later, Kuzuryu!"

He watched as they disappeared around the corner, and finally Hinata continued walking along the sidewalk in silence, mulling over what had just happened. Because that had certainly been... a thing that had just happened.

That's really about all that he was certain of.

Sudden movement at Hinata's hip made him jump slightly, just as it had earlier that morning, but with the fear of attack largely eliminated he immediately identified his phone's vibration signaling an incoming text message.

He pulled out the cell phone once again and opened up his messages.

_> Hey. Just making sure this works._

Seeing Kuzuryu's name at the top of his recent contacts sent a strange feeling rising in his chest, like a pot of water just beginning to bubble. Like the very earliest stages of an eventual rolling boil.

Hinata wasn't sure exactly what that feeling was. It was strange and unfamiliar, but not unpleasant—if the smile growing across his face was any indication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last time I was in Japan, I stayed in the Chiba Chuo area. The koban by the station there has a rather... unique design, which left quite an impression on me. (I won't spoil the surprise; search Google images for "Chiba Chuo koban" and check it out!) So I... ended up putting a Monokuma koban in this story. There's no real meaning to it beyond that. Probably.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Kuzuryu! I actually intended for this chapter to be a birthday present for myself, since I certainly wouldn't expect anyone else to gift me Kuzuhina... but I'm two days late for that, so let's just regift this for Kuzu, yeah. Yup.
> 
> (I had intended to post this for my birthday and then have chapter 6 done for Kuzu's birthday, but then I decided that I'm not quite that insane.)
> 
> Oh right, I also created a twitter account where I can toss my random thoughts about this fic (nothing that will spoil my story, but there is some behind-the-scenes stuff). So if you're interested at all, it's here: http://twitter.com/WFRainbows
> 
> By the way, on Sunday I turned thi—*chokes, dies.*

Hinata didn't see Kuzuryu again until a few days later, though he wasn't entirely sure why.  Casual texts of "what are you up to this weekend?" were answered with "none of your business, dumbass."

He probably didn't want to know the real answer, anyway.

Unsure if the hostile response was simply due to the nature of the question or something more, Hinata left Kuzuryu be for the rest of the weekend.  So he was a little surprised, but mostly relieved, when on Monday Kuzuryu strode into the koban, unannounced and completely without fanfare.

"There's nothing to do in this stupid town," he declared as he slumped into the visitor's chair across from Hinata's desk.

"Nice to see you, too."  Hinata glanced up from the reports he was idly sifting through.  "Shibuya's just a fifteen minute ride on the train, if you're looking for excitement."

"That doesn't change the fact that there's nothing _here_."  Kuzuryu leaned back in the chair and fiddled with the cap on the bottle of tea he was carrying.

"It looks like you found the convenience store, at least."

"Yeah, I'm just _barely_ containing my excitement over that one.  Asshole."

Hinata chuckled lightly and looked up, the laughter fading somewhat as he saw Kirigiri pass behind Kuzuryu on her way out to take her midday break.  She caught his gaze and gave him a meaningful look, her eyes flicking just briefly to the yakuza before she pulled her mouth into a hard line.

Hinata tried to keep his expression neutral as he stared at her over Kuzuryu's shoulder.  Kuzuryu had been in the building for all of two minutes; had she really sensed something was off about him already?  It wasn't uncommon for residents to drop into the koban for a friendly chat, so that couldn't be her issue.

Regardless of the reason, Kirigiri just shook her head softly, then continued to the door.  "I'll be back later," she called over.

"Ah, right!  Have a good break!" Hinata responded as she opened the door to leave.

Kuzuryu glanced briefly at Kirigiri as she left, then turned back to Hinata to continue their conversation.  "Tell me it's not just food delivery and craft shops around here."

"Huh?"  Hinata blinked dumbly at Kuzuryu for a moment before he remembered what they had been discussing before.  "Oh, right.  Well..."  He began mentally ticking off all the places he tended to pass by while on patrol—but since a large part of his route was through the residential area, he switched instead to the more comprehensive list of "part-time jobs Makoto Naegi has been fired from."  "Yeah, that pretty much covers it.  Oh, and there's a pet shop a few blocks down."

"Pet shop?"  Kuzuryu frowned.  "Nah, that's more Peko's thing."

Hinata furrowed his brows.  By "Peko," he meant Peko _yama_ , right?  That stern, cool woman who followed Kuzuryu everywhere?  "Seriously?  That's kind of hard to imagine..."

Kuzuryu glowered dangerously.  "You got a problem with Peko?"

"No, no, of course not!"  Hinata raised his hands in front of himself defensively and shook his head.  Of course he had no problem with Pekoyama!  Why would he have any sort of problem with someone who carried a sword everywhere she went?  "It's just kind of unexpected that she'd like small animals, that's all."

Kuzuryu shrugged.  "I'm not sure if I'd say it's unexpected or not.  It's just who she is."

"Well, you'd know better than I would..."  Hinata tilted his head to the side in thought.  "I mean, we haven't spoken much yet, now that I think about it."

"She's not really much for talking, at least when you first meet her."  He looked up at Hinata quizzically.  "You brought up Peko first thing the other day, too.  Don't tell me you've got a thing for her or something."

"Huh?"  Hinata hadn't even considered that.  "No, nothing like that.  It's more like I want to know—" _more about you_.  Hinata snapped his mouth shut before he could continue to voice his thought.  What was _that_ about?  He had already figured out the truth behind Kuzuryu's identity, so it wasn't like there was much more he needed to know.  Flustered, he returned to his paperwork.  "Anyway, I have some work to do.  Feel free to hang around if you want, but it's not much more interesting here than being out in town."

Kuzuryu did end up sticking around, chatting occasionally with Hinata as he sorted through reports.  Hinata hadn't even realized how long the yakuza had stayed until Kirigiri walked back through the door.

Alarmed by the passage of time, Hinata glanced at the clock, and was relieved to see that his sempai had cut her break short by half as usual.  Still, that had been a full two hours that Kuzuryu had been hanging around the koban.

Kirigiri spared Kuzuryu little more than a glance before walking towards Hinata and handing him a plastic bag.  "I picked up a bento for you."

"Thanks," Hinata muttered, finding himself unable to read Kirigiri's expression.  "You got yourself something to eat too, though, right?"

"Of course."  She took a step back, gave Kuzuryu another look, then turned towards the break room.  "I'll be back out in a moment."

"Your break's not over until four!" Hinata called after her, but he knew that it would fall on deaf ears.  He shrugged and turned back towards Kuzuryu.  "She works herself too hard."

"Maybe if you were better at your job she wouldn't have to."

"I was working the _entire time_ you were here."

"Yeah, whatever."  Kuzuryu stood up, stretching.  "I should get going though.  I'm a busy guy."

Hinata grinned.  "Could have fooled me."

Kuzuryu scowled down at him, then turned towards the door.  "I'll talk to you later, then."

"Sure, stop by whenever."  Hinata watched Kuzuryu turn the door handle when a thought occurred to him.  "Hold on, Kuzuryu!"

The yakuza froze, his hand on the doorknob, and turned back to look at Hinata.  "Yeah?"

"I'll be out of work probably around eight.  If you want, we could meet up at Kagayaki for dinner and drinks."

Kuzuryu stared at him for a few moments, and Hinata found himself nervously tapping a pen against the desk as he waited for an answer.  Finally, the blond nodded.  "Sure, I can do that.  Eight o'clock, then?"

"Yeah," Hinata confirmed, grinning.  "I'll see you tonight."

Kuzuryu nodded again before opening the door and disappearing from sight.

When the door had shut, Kirigiri emerged from the break room, having changed back into her uniform.  She stared at the door for a few seconds before turning to Hinata, her gaze calculating.  "Hinata-kun, that man..."

Hinata felt a chill run down his spine, but he tried not to show it.  "What about him?"

Kirigiri paused a moment, then shook her head lightly.  "I've never seen him before."

"Oh, right."  Hinata tried not to sigh in relief, glad as he was that he didn't have to answer any pressing questions just yet.  "That's Kuzuryu.  He's new to the area."

"Hmm."  Kirigiri looked back at the door that Kuzuryu had left from, her expression thoughtful.  "Is he the one you mentioned meeting at Kagayaki last week?"

"Yeah, that's the guy."

"I see."  Kirigiri stood in place for a moment longer before turning back to the break room.  "That's all for now, then."

_For now._  Hinata frowned.  He knew he needed to tell Kirigiri what he knew about the Kuzuryu Clan soon, and he was only making things worse by putting it off.  He just couldn't figure out a way to explain to Kirigiri—or to himself, even—why he had held off for so long.

It was stupid, and childish, but he had gotten himself stuck in a cycle of hesitation and it was going to be absolute hell when he finally broke out.

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair.  For now, he'd focus on his work, and once that was done he'd have dinner with Kuzuryu.  That thought made him feel just a bit better.

He wasn't sure why, but it did.

* * *

When Hinata arrived at Kagayaki that evening, Kuzuryu was waiting outside the entrance, with Pekoyama standing at attention by his side.

"Hey," Hinata greeted as he slowed to a stop.  "You didn't have to wait out here, you know.  It's warmer inside."

Kuzuryu shrugged.  "The last time I was in this place was pretty much a fucking disaster.  Who knows how much of a pain in my ass it'll be If I show my face in there without you."

Hinata thought back to that night when he had fled from the pub in a panic and grimaced.  He didn't have any idea of what might have transpired there after he left, but considering how furious Kuzuryu had been to find out that Hinata was a police officer, he could only imagine what kind of mood he must have been in when he returned downstairs after his outburst.  Hinata groaned.  "Please don't tell me you yelled at the other patrons, too."

"Dumbass," Kuzuryu scoffed indignantly.  "I know how to control myself."

Not entirely convinced, Hinata glanced at Pekoyama.

The woman spared a small, amused smile.  "He didn't yell at them," she confirmed.  "Though he did cause a bit of a scene stomping through the room the way he did."

" _Peko._ "

"My apologies, Young Master."  Pekoyama's face faded back into indifference as she turned to Hinata again.  "By the way, I don't believe I've formally introduced myself.  My name is Peko Pekoyama.  It's nice to meet you."

"Ah, right!"  Hinata spared barely half a second to ponder over her name—he had thought that "Peko" was a nickname based on her last name, not her _actual_ first name—before responding in kind.  "Nice to meet you, I'm Hajime Hinata."

"Okay, great, so let's get in there already," Kuzuryu cut in irritably.  "Peko, you can go somewhere else."

Pekoyama's expression hardened.  "Young Master..."

"I know you don't like places like this," Kuzuryu interrupted.  "So just go do something you want to do, all right?  I'll be fine."

The silver-haired woman hesitated for a moment before turning back to Hinata.  "In that case, Hinata, I'll trust you to monitor his alcohol intake."

"Fucking hell!"

Hinata found himself laughing without restraint as Kuzuryu pulled him by the sleeve towards the izakaya entrance.

"Good _bye_ , Peko!" Kuzuryu growled with a sense of finality, then closed the sliding door behind them.  "Holy fuck, I cut loose _one_ time and this happens..."

Hinata chuckled lightly.  "Well, that one time certainly left an impression."

Kuzuryu looked up at Hinata thoughtfully, then huffed and turned towards the bar.  "Whatever.  Let's get a seat."

As the two men walked up to the counter, Hanamura looked up and grinned.  "Hey, Hinata-kun!" he greeted, but his smile faded just a tiny bit as he registered the shorter of the two.  "And you're... from last week..."

"That's Kuzuryu," Hinata supplied as he sat on a stool, Kuzuryu taking a seat beside him.  "He's cool though, don't worry."

Kuzuryu offered a half-hearted wave in greeting.  "Yeah, yeah, sorry for the trouble I caused and shit.  Won't happen again."

"Trouble?"  Hanamura's face swiftly melted into a seductive smirk, and he sidled up to the edge of the bar, leaning in Kuzuryu's direction.  "Oh, not at all.  It's never any trouble to have someone as handsome as you in this fine establishment.  Would you care to order one of our entrees this time around?  I'm sure it won't be _nearly_ as delectable as you, though."

Kuzuryu's face twisted into an uncomfortable grimace and he leaned as far from Hanamura as possible, his shoulder pressing against Hinata's as if for comfort.  Hinata actually found it kind of endearing and _wow_ did he really just think that what the hell?

Chuckling nervously, Hinata gently nudged Kuzuryu away before he ended up in his lap.  "Don't listen to Hanamura.  He's a huge flirt, but he'll never actually lay a hand on a customer."

"Hinata-kun!" Hanamura wailed, his sly demeanor quickly dissolving into annoyance.  "You ruin my fun when you tell the newcomers that right off the bat!"

You still have plenty of fun anyway," Hinata retorted, rolling his eyes.  "And half your customers would never come back if I didn't ease their fears."

"Fears?  Ha!"  Hanamura smoothed his hair haughtily.  "Why would anyone be afraid of my charms?  And even if they were—and they _aren't_ —my food is more than enough to have them coming back and _begging_ for more."

"Hey, this is all fascinating and shit," Kuzuryu cut in, apparently having recovered from the shock of Hanamura's advances, "but are we going to actually get to eat any of that food or what?"

"Ah, right," Hinata scratched his head sheepishly.  "I guess we got a little carried away there.  Let's just start off with some yakitori, and a glass of my regular."

Hanamura nodded, turning to Kuzuryu.  "And you, Kuzuryu-kun?  Will you be having the... shochu, was it?"

"Not tonight," Hinata said before Kuzuryu could even begin to respond.

Kuzuryu rolled his eyes and kicked Hinata's leg lightly.  "I can answer for my-fucking-self, _Hinata_.  A glass of Kirin is fine."

Hinata hummed thoughtfully as Hanamura turned towards the tap.  "So you're a lager sort of guy, Kuzuryu?"

"When I'm not trying to get myself fucked up, yeah."  The yakuza glared up at him.  "Why, got a problem with that?"

"Nope."  Hinata watched Hanamura place two twin glasses on the counter in front of them, then pulled one towards himself.  "It's my drink of choice, too."

Kuzuryu took the other glass, considering Hinata carefully.  "I see.  Well, cheers then."

They clinked their glasses together, and as they chatted through the evening, Hinata was nearly able to forget all his other worries.

* * *

The next evening, as they closed up the koban for the night, Hinata was tired, hungry, and preoccupied with the thought of meeting Kuzuryu for dinner again.

"Hinata-kun, about your friend..."

"Hmm?"  Hinata looked over at Kirigiri as he pulled his jacket on.  "You mean Kuzuryu?  Sorry he came to hang out here again, I told him to find somewhere else to kill time..."

"No, that's not a problem."  Kirigiri paused, a thoughtful look on her face, then amended, "Well, it _shouldn't_ be a problem, in theory.  But the real issue here..."

The exhaustion fogging his mind melted away all at once as Hinata realized what Kirigiri was probably driving at.  This was it, wasn't it?  He stood stock still as she peered around carefully, her gaze lingering on the koban's entrance before turning back towards Hinata.

"He's with the yakuza, isn't he?"

Hinata said nothing; he had no idea _what_ to say.  He still hadn't figured out the best way to broach the subject, and now that it was being thrust at him, he was drawing a complete blank.  Part of him was astounded that she had figured Kuzuryu out so quickly, but on the other hand, of course she had; this was _Kyoko Kirigiri_ , after all.  But what had him really unable to speak was the expression on her face.  She was normally difficult to read, but the expression she currently wore was especially complicated to evaluate.  Was she angry?  He knew he should have confided in her earlier— _much_ earlier—so he wouldn't blame her at all if she were, but...

"Stop making that face, I'm not angry," she said sharply, cutting through his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," Hinata said anyway.

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow.  "What for?  It can be quite beneficial to have informants in the criminal underground.  There's nothing inherently wrong with building rapport with a yakuza clan.  Though it's beneficial to them as well, so you need to be careful you aren't taken advantage of, of course."

"Informants..."  Hinata frowned.  He remembered Kuzuryu and Pekoyama whispering to each other just before they had traded contact information; that must have been what that was about.  "Kuzuryu won't tell me anything about what his clan is doing, though."

"I wouldn't expect him to."  Kirigiri cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowing as she studied Hinata carefully.  "What I mean is that it will help to keep on top of potential situations with their rival clans.  Diffusing dangerous situations isn't always most efficiently done by relying solely on the police force."  Her words slowed as she spoke, before finally she paused, peering curiously up at Hinata.  "But you don't seem to have thought about any of that at all, and I have to admit that that's worrying.  So let me change my approach."  Her face darkened harshly.  "What in the _world_ are you doing, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata grimaced.  "So you _are_ angry..."

"I'm upset.  Have you thought through this situation _at all_?  I expected better of you."

"I have thought it through!" Hinata retorted.  "I'm sorry, okay?  I know I should have told you sooner, but I just—"

"Keeping this from me isn't the primary issue here," Kirigiri cut in.  "Yes, you _should_ have told me, but more than that, you're not even considering your own position and what sort of danger you could be putting yourself into.  A dead cop helps no one, Hinata-kun."

"I'm aware."

Kirigiri maintained her glare for a moment longer before letting her expression soften slightly, sighing.  "So if you're not trying to build an information network, what are you aiming for with Kuzuryu-kun?"

Hinata opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of how best to answer.  What _was_ he aiming for?  "I guess... I thought he seemed like a pretty okay guy and thought we'd get along well."

Kirigiri stared at him for a beat, before bringing a gloved hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh.

"Wh- what?" Hinata asked, feeling his cheeks redden.

"No, I'm sorry," Kirigiri shook her head and quickly regained her composure, though the smile didn't fade from her lips.  "So you honestly just want to be _friends_ with him?"

Hinata paused.  "Well, yeah," he affirmed.

Kirigiri giggled softly again.  "Goodness.  You're quite smitten with him, aren't you?"

"Come on, Sempai, that makes it sound weird."

"Right, I'm sorry."  She cocked her head to look up at him again, mirth still shining in her eyes.  "I won't step between you two, then.  But," her eyes darkened once again, "be careful.  There's always a certain degree of danger when dealing with the yakuza in any capacity."

"Yeah, I know."

Kirigiri nodded, then began walking to the door.  "Let's get going, then."

They stepped into the chilly air, and Hinata pulled his collar up against his neck.  It really was starting to get cold; it was probably about time to start bringing a scarf for warmth.

"One last thing, Hinata-kun," Kirigiri said as she finished locking up the door.  She turned to look up at him, her violet eyes gleaming with a serious light in the darkness.  "Being a police officer isn't what you really want, is it?"

Hinata returned Kirigiri's gaze, considering his words before responding.  "Well, neither do you, Sempai, do you?"

"We're not talking about me right now."

Hinata pulled his mouth into a thin line and averted his gaze awkwardly.  "I... no, it's not what I really want to be."

Kirigiri gave a short nod.  "Even so, don't forget that for the time being, you _are_ a police officer.  And as long as you hold this job, you should act accordingly."  She paused for a moment, her eyes studying his face, before continuing.  "I said I won't get between you two, but that agreement holds only so long as you remember your professional commitments."

Hinata took a sharp intake of breath, the cold air burning his lungs, but nodded.  "Yeah.  Of course."

Kirigiri nodded once more, turning on her heel.  "That's all I needed to hear.  Good night, then, Hinata-kun.  Enjoy your dinner."

Hinata waved her off as they parted ways, then began walking to Kagayaki, mulling over Kirigiri's words as he went.  She had warned him to stay professional; did that mean she worried that he _wouldn't_?  Why would she worry about that?  It's not like Hinata was about to go off and join the yakuza himself, after all.

As he approached the pub, he saw Kuzuryu waiting outside the entrance again, and Hinata felt himself begin to smile when the yakuza offered a cordial wave.

"You're waiting out here again?" Hinata asked as he jogged the last few steps to Kuzuryu.

Kuzuryu grunted noncommittally with a small shrug.  "Haven't really gotten used to that perverted cook."

Hinata's lips twitched into a grin, prompting Kuzuryu to glare up at him, cheeks reddening.

"The fuck are you grinning about?!"

"Nothing!" Hinata assured, but secretly it filled him with a strange sort of glee to hear that Kuzuryu depended on him for some sort of protection.  Though, speaking of which...  "Where's Pekoyama?"

"I chased her off already," Kuzuryu responded dismissively.  "She didn't protest as much as last night, thank god.  Now let's get inside, it's fucking freezing out here."

Hinata followed Kuzuryu into the pub, still unable to fight off his grin.

* * *

"Hey, you know that sempai of yours?"

It was later into the night, as they nursed the last of their post-dinner beers, and they had mostly run out of conversation topics—or so it seemed, since Hinata couldn't think of any other reason why Kuzuryu would mention Kirigiri out of nowhere.  He grimaced slightly, thinking of the discussion he had had with her just a few hours before.  "You mean the one who _already figured out who you are_?"

Kuzuryu paused, eyebrows raising slightly.  "Seriously?  Fuck, she's good.  I don't think I've even really talked to her."

"You being awfully cavalier about this."  Hinata took a sip of his beer, watching Kuzuryu carefully over the rim of the glass.

The gangster shrugged.  "If she was going to try to do something about it, she would have already.  She's clearly not a pushover like you are."

"Are you going somewhere with this, or are you just using it as an excuse to badmouth me?"

"Mm, let's go with both."  Kuzuryu placed his glass down and leaned against the counter, turning to face Hinata.  "What I'm trying to say is she's got nice eyes, too."

Hinata felt something ugly and unreasonable flare up in his chest, and he frowned.  He wasn't sure how to define that reaction within him, but he calculated his next words carefully so that whatever it was wouldn't come seeping out.  "By that you mean she's determined, right?"

Kuzuryu hummed thoughtfully.  "Maybe not exactly the word I'd choose, but yeah, something like that."

That confirmation seemed to calm down whatever it was that had gotten Hinata on edge, and he breathed out softly.

"It's like there's still some fight left in her that most of the rest of the dumbasses in this town have lost or given up on."  He looked over at Hinata thoughtfully.  "So what's her story, anyway?"

"Not mine to tell."  Hinata drank from his glass again, partly as a way to show that his lips were sealed on the subject.  It wasn't something that he ever really discussed with Kirigiri herself, after all.

Kuzuryu seemed content to let it drop, though, and simply shrugged.  "Fair enough.  So did she give you a hard time about hanging out with..."  He trailed off and glanced about the pub; not many of the other customers were left, but it was still not quite deserted enough to openly let slip that there was a yakuza in the room.  "Well, you know.  You just seem kinda pissed about it."

Hinata thought back to Kirigiri's suggestion about clandestine information networks and decided that might not be the best thing to mention to Kuzuryu.  In fact, between that and whatever that unknown burst of emotion had be, Hinata wasn't sure he trusted himself to speak any further on the subject.  "What about you?" he asked instead, turning the question back on Kuzuryu.  "Do you not get along with Pekoyama or something?  You seem annoyed with her a lot..."

"Annoyed?"  Kuzuryu scoffed and took a quick swig of his drink before continuing.  "No way.  Of course we get along.  Peko's the closest thing I have to a best friend, I guess you'd say."

"Ah..."  Hinata studied the amber liquid inside his glass thoughtfully.  "You've been together for a long time, then?"

"Fuck, ever since we were born pretty much."  Kuzuryu placed his glass on the counter, leaning back on the stool with a... wistful look in his eyes?  "We were basically raised together, and she's been brought up to be my protector all my life.  We've never really been apart."

Hinata hummed thoughtfully, studying Kuzuryu's face as he spoke.  "You seem to get pretty annoyed by her watching over you, though.  Isn't that what she's supposed to do?"

"Yeah, but..."  Kuzuryu pulled his mouth into a grimace, and he leaned forward against the bar again.  "She just takes it so seriously, it pisses me off."

"It's a job that _should_ be taken seriously, though."

"No, that's not..."  Kuzuryu sighed in frustration, burying his head in his hands.  He seemed to be having trouble formulating the right words.  "It's like, it was cute when we were kids, you know?  It was like we were playing pretend.  But it's _not_ pretend.  That became clearer and clearer as we got older, and now it's just..."  He shook his head.  "She takes it to the point that she's completely disregarding her own humanity for my sake, and that shit doesn't sit right with me.  She says she's my tool to serve and protect me.  But I don't want her to be a _tool_ , I want her to be her own person, you know?"

Hinata thought back to the times he had seen Kuzuryu and Pekoyama interact—Kuzuryu constantly ordering her to leave him alone and go off and do her own thing.  He had always assumed that it was out of annoyance, an attempt to free himself from her, but with this new information in mind, he realized that it was the opposite.

The one he was trying to free was _Pekoyama_.

Kuzuryu picked up his drink again but instead of taking a sip, he stared at the amber liquid listlessly.  "I mean, I like having her around, but I don't think of her as a tool or a bodyguard.  I see her as more like... like..."

Seeing how Kuzuryu was struggling to find the right words, Hinata tried helping him out.  "Like a sister?"

That didn't have the effect Hinata had expected at all; Kuzuryu's eyes instantly darkened, his facial features falling slack and emotionless.  "No," he said, placing his glass on the bar counter and pushing it away.  To Hinata, it looked like Kuzuryu was starting to close in on himself, rejecting all the rest of the world for reasons only for Kuzuryu to know.  "Not like a sister.  Not at all."

The air fell silent and tense between them, and Hinata was unsure of where to go from there.  He turned his gaze forward, away from Kuzuryu, and busied himself with nursing his beer.

He'd said something wrong.  That much was certain.  He had said plenty of things in the past few days that got Kuzuryu pissed off and ranting, but this was a new reaction that he hadn't yet experienced, and he wasn't sure what he was meant to say or do in response.

He knew angry Kuzuryu.  He could deal with an angry Kuzuryu.

But this Kuzuryu wasn't angry, he was just... empty.

They sat in silence for a long moment.  It was one of those cliché situations where it was unclear whether minutes or hours were going by, but Hinata knew that logically, Hanamura would be closing up shop and kicking them out if it really _had_ been hours.

The silence was finally broken when Kuzuryu gave a long-suffering sigh.  "Fuck," he said softly.  "What the hell am I doing here?"

Hinata wasn't sure if that was a question that he was meant to answer, or even if he had been meant to hear it in the first place.  "Well, you're having some drinks with me," he answered anyway.

"No, I mean..."  Kuzuryu trailed off.

"In Kibougaoka?  You haven't told me that."

"...Right."  The yakuza sighed again, then slowly stood up from the bar.  "I need to get going now."

Hinata set down his drink and watched as Kuzuryu stepped around the bar stool and pulled on his jacket.  There was still something off about him.  "Kuzuryu?" he called out.

The shorter man paused, but he didn't turn to face Hinata.  "I'm going to be busy for a few days.  Won't have time for drinks or anything.  But after that..."  He paused and scratched his head awkwardly before continuing.  "We can hang out after that, I guess, all right?  Not all the time, but we can, I dunno.  Go to the movies or some shit."

Hinata furrowed his brow as he stared at Kuzuryu, who was still resolutely avoiding his gaze.  It was clear that he wasn't going to get any sort of elaboration from the mobster; his only options were to answer yes or no.  And of those two, there wasn't any question.  "Well, sure," he said.  He really wanted to know what had gotten into Kuzuryu all of a sudden, but if a promise to meet up later was all he could get for the moment, he'd take it.  "Just text me when you're available, then."

Kuzuryu laughed finally, but it sounded hollow to Hinata's ears.  "Sure, I'll text you."  He looked over his shoulder then, but not quite enough to let Hinata read his expression.  "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Kuzuryu."  Hinata waved him off, and once the yakuza was gone, he turned back to his beer, thoughts in a whirl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite how much social drinking I have the boys do in this fic, I... don't drink. I know literally nothing about drinks, so any time I have to write them ordering something I usually just flail around on google looking for izakaya menus and hoping my inexperience doesn't show too much in my writing!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, September 17, is Kuzuhina Day! So I'm posting the next chapter! Happy Kuzuhina Day! (Though it's almost over where I am... just barely posting this before midnight!)
> 
> I had to cut this chapter in half-ish because it was getting too long. So there's already a bunch done on the next chapter, and I'm hoping to get that up before the end of the month. No promises, but since I'm falling behind on the update rate I had hoped for, I wanna try to catch up...!

Hinata's shoes squelched uncomfortably with each step; he wouldn't have thought that he'd get so thoroughly soaked from running just a few blocks to find shelter, but it _was_ usually the late-season typhoons that were the strongest, after all.

He looked over at Kuzuryu running at his side, who was in much the same state as Hinata: soaking wet and struggling to find some sort of shelter from the deluge.  Squinting against the limited visibility, the shorter man pointed ahead and to their left.  "There, that store has something we can stand under."

Hinata followed Kuzuryu's directions, and a few seconds later, they managed to duck under the awning in front of a closed deli.

Sighing, Hinata flapped his shirt in a futile attempt to keep it from sticking uncomfortably to his skin.  "Remind me again whose idea it was to go see a movie when there was a typhoon blowing in?"

Kuzuryu glared up at him.  "The ticket vouchers were only good for today, okay?  How about _you_ remind _me_ who said we'd have enough time to find a place to get dinner before the rain started?"

"That was the fault of the weatherman, not me."  In all honesty, Hinata hadn't thought to check the updated forecast since the day before, but he decided to keep that to himself.  "Guess the storm moved faster than they expected."

"No shit, you think?"

Hinata sighed as they fell into companionable silence.  There was no real hostility behind their sniping, and they both knew it.  It had simply become the norm in their interactions over the few weeks they had spent together; if anything, Hinata took it as evidence that they were on friendly terms.  It meant that Kuzuryu still wanted to talk to him, even if it was to sling half-hearted insults.  It was far better than the days of radio silence following that night at the bar.

Hinata still didn't know what Kuzuryu's reaction that night had been about; he hadn't really found the right opportunity to bring it up.  He wasn't sure if he should _ever_ bring it up.  When Kuzuryu had finally shown up again after three days of no contact, it was with his usual demeanor, strolling into the koban like he owned the place and stating with no room for argument that he and Hinata were going out for drinks and karaoke in Roppongi.

During the two weeks since then they had spent time together rather frequently, though it wasn't always easy to find time between Hinata's work and whatever shady commitments Kuzuryu had going on.  Upon discovering that Saturday was the one day a week that Hinata had the whole day off, however, Kuzuryu had decided to make sure that he was also free that day, and put on an act of being horribly grumpy about it.

And that was how they found themselves braving a typhoon in Hachioji on a Saturday afternoon just to take advantage of some free movie tickets.

Hinata sighed and watched the rain as it poured beyond the awning, dripping in rivulets like a curtain.  "Why are we just standing around here, anyway?" he said finally.  "It's not like this is a light shower that will pass over us quickly... I don't think waiting out the storm here is a viable option."

"Obviously," Kuzuryu replied.  "I'm trying to call Peko to pick us up, but... shit, my hands are too wet, I can't work my phone..."

Hinata peered over at Kuzuryu curiously, watching him try to use his smartphone.  The device itself seemed to still work, as the screen was illuminated as normal, but Kuzuryu's finger presses were indeed not registering.  "I'm not sure it'll be any better, but want me to give it a try?"

"Fuck no, don't touch my phone."

"Right," Hinata sighed, turning his gaze forward again.  Kuzuryu, he had discovered, was incredibly touchy about Hinata handling his phone.  He supposed it made sense, given Kuzuryu's family business, but if he were perfectly honest it kind of hurt.  He wouldn't go digging around in Kuzuryu's business, and he felt that Kuzuryu should know that perfectly well by now.  Hadn't they built up enough trust over the past weeks?

"Goddammit," Kuzuryu cursed, still struggling with his phone.  "The fucking thing just won't work..."

"I'm right here, Young Master."

Hinata jumped slightly when Pekoyama appeared not far from his left side.  "Pekoyama, there you are!"

She stood as emotionlessly as ever, shielded by a black umbrella held in one hand, with two other folded umbrellas in the other.  "I wasn't very far, but with the two of you running around like that it took a while to find you.  You can take these."  She held out the two umbrellas, which the men accepted gratefully.  "The car is on the way with dry clothes so you won't catch cold."  She looked at Hinata pointedly.  "There's a change of clothes for you as well."

"Me?"  Hinata's brows furrowed in confusion as he fiddled with the umbrella.  "I appreciate that, but I'm just going to get wet again going to and from the station.  I don't think the umbrella's going to hold up when the wind kicks in."

Pekoyama shook her head.  "You won't be taking the train.  You're getting in the car as well."

"The car?"  As if on cue, headlights appeared in the pouring rain, and the sleek black car pulled to a stop in front of the deli.  As Pekoyama opened the door for them, Hinata backed away, smiling sheepishly.  "I appreciate the offer, but I'll just take the train.  It's really not a big—"

"The trains further downtown are already going out of service due to flooding," Pekoyama cut him off, motioning to the door for Hinata to go in after Kuzuryu.  "You're not getting anywhere by train tonight.  We'll drive you."

Hinata looked at her curiously, but climbed into the car regardless.  "Well... thanks.  You know where the dormitory is, then?"

"Yes, but that's in the other direction," she said.  "Driving there and then back will put Young Master in too much danger, and his safety takes priority over yours.  You'll stay at the house with us tonight."

"The house?!" Kuzuryu yelped in surprise as he paused in finding a comfortable sitting position in his soaking clothes.  "We're taking him to the house?  What the hell are you thinking?!"

"We're already running the risk of encountering flash floods as it is," Pekoyama clipped as she climbed into the front passenger seat.  "We can't afford to take any detours, so we're going straight to the house.  Hinata will be taken back home once the storm has passed tomorrow."

Hinata shifted in his seat uncomfortably, and not just because of the way his quickly chilling clothes fell against his skin.  "Is that, uh... okay?"

Pekoyama peered back at him coolly, then to Kuzuryu.  "Well, Young Master?  Is there a problem with that?"

Kuzuryu gave Pekoyama a pointed look, then glanced at Hinata, and finally he sighed.  "Whatever, it should be fine.  Now where are those clothes already, we're freezing here and it fucking sucks!"

Pekoyama nodded shortly and passed a small pile of clothes back to the two men.  "Here you go.  Hinata, I wasn't sure what size you wear, but it should fit well enough."

"Thanks," Hinata said, accepting the larger set of dry clothes.  He unfolded the shirt and inspected it; a hooded sweatshirt.  It looked warm and, above all else, dry.  "Honestly, I'm just surprised you had clothes in my size on hand.  Do you often keep a change of clothes in your cars?"

"Some jobs can get a bit messy, so it's always helpful to keep spare clothing on hand for our men, just in case."

Hinata felt a chill entirely unrelated to his soaked clothing as he registered exactly what the silver-haired woman had just implied.  Suddenly that sweatshirt didn't seem quite as warm and comforting.

He sighed, figuring that there was nothing to be done about that, and he began unbuttoning his shirt, glancing over to Kuzuryu as he did.  The shorter man had already unbuttoned his own shirt and was pulling it over his head, the muscles in his shoulders flexing with the movement—

—and for some reason, Hinata couldn't look away.

His eyes were drawn to the pale scars criss-crossing Kuzuryu's arms and torso.  There weren't exactly a lot of them, but there were more than a few, and looking at them made Hinata's stomach turn in a way that he assumed must have been concern for the yakuza's well-being.  It made sense that he'd have such scars, though; Kuzuryu was involved in dangerous work, and it was only natural that sometimes weapons would be drawn.

Kuzuryu managed to pull his shirt off completely, exposing shoulders lightly dusted with freckles, and threw it to the floor while shaking his head to shake off the droplets still clinging to his hair.  He picked up the dry shirt that Pekoyama had handed him and went to put it on, his shoulder muscles flexing again as he prepared to pull it over his head, but he paused, his eyes meeting Hinata's, and it was then that Hinata realized that he had been staring.

Shit.  He had been _staring_.

"The fuck do you want?" Kuzuryu bit out, eyebrow cocking curiously.

"Ah, I..."  Hinata floundered for words, unsure of even how to explain to himself what had just happened.  He had been staring?  At his friend's bare torso?   _Why?_  His cheeks felt warm as his mouth flapped soundlessly.  "Uh, tattoos," Hinata finally managed to say, the first word to come to mind that seemed to make more sense than the flurry of strange thoughts in his head.  "You don't have any."

"Yeah, way to rub it in, dumbass."  Kuzuryu scowled and pulled on the shirt, obscuring that pale, scarred expanse of skin.  "Dad says I can't get the dragon before I really prove myself as the heir, and there's no point in getting any other ink before that."

"I see."  Hinata tried to convince himself that he was truly interested in the topic, and his intuition told him that there was something important in what Kuzuryu had said, but he couldn't seem to focus on it well enough to come up with a suitable follow-up.  He ultimately let it drop and pulled his own shirt over his head.

The car began to move, and as Hinata shrugged fully into the sweatshirt, he heard Pekoyama whisper to Kuzuryu, "Young Master."

Apparently those two words were all Kuzuryu needed for her message to be understood.  "Ah, right.  Hinata, turn toward me for a moment."

"Huh?"  Hinata turned to look at Kuzuryu curiously, summarily obeying his order even if he hadn't actually meant to.  "What's up?"

Kuzuryu's hands rose to reach towards Hinata's face, and Hinata's thoughts skidded to a halt.  Suddenly his heart was pounding against his ribcage; he wasn't sure if it was fear or... something else?  What was going on?  Part of him was screaming to back away, and another part urged him to lean closer, which resulted in Hinata just staying frozen in place as Kuzuryu's hands slid across either side of his face, brushing against his hair—

—and suddenly Hinata couldn't see anything as the sweatshirt's hood was flipped upward and over his eyes, the drawstring pulled tight to keep it secured in place.

"Oh," Hinata found himself saying out loud.  He... wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting, or anticipating, but that wasn't it.  "You're not going to let me see where we're going, then."

"Nope," came Kuzuryu's voice.  "And gimme your cell phone."

"Why should I?  You don't let me touch yours."

"Just give me the fucking phone, Hinata."

Hinata sighed and fumbled in his pocket to retrieve the phone.  "Nobody's going to be tracking my location, you know."  He waved the phone in the air aimlessly until it seemed to find Kuzuryu's outstretched hand, and he felt it gently pulled from his fingers.

"Yeah, sure, but just in case."  Hinata heard the familiar shut-down tone of his cell phone, and then a rustling of fabric to indicate that it had been stashed away somewhere.

Hinata hesitated a moment.  "I mean, I know where your main office is, though.  Actually, isn't it close by?  We have the address on file at—"  He was cut off abruptly as he was yanked downwards and to the right, close to where Kuzuryu would be.

"Listen, you dumbass," Kuzuryu hissed through the cloth close to Hinata's ear, sending shivers down his spine.  "The Hachioji office is one thing, that shit's public knowledge.  But we can't go revealing where we can be killed in our sleep.  And you better make _fucking_ sure you don't let slip that you're a cop while you're there, like you just almost did.  Peko and I know, but no one else does, and if the guys at home find out there's a good fucking chance you're not gonna wake up tomorrow morning."  Finally Kuzuryu released his grip on Hinata's sweatshirt, allowing him to sit upright again.

"...Right," was all Hinata could think to say.

"And you!"  Hinata wasn't sure who Kuzuryu was addressing then, but he heard a thump as if Kuzuryu had kicked something.  "You didn't hear _anything_ that this dumbass just said, got it?!"

"Of course, Young Master," came an unfamiliar male voice, who must have been the driver.

The car fell into silence, and Hinata sat back in the plush seat, trying to adjust to the sudden loss of one of his senses.  "You know, couldn't you have just used a normal blindfold?" he asked, shifting his head to get the hood to lie more comfortably against his face.  "I probably look really ridiculous like this."

"Yeah, you do," Kuzuryu responded with a laugh.  "That's kind of the point."

"Gee, thanks."

The conversation died off once again, and Hinata tried to relax and not dwell on the idea of spending the night at a _yakuza household_.  He tried focusing instead on the endless staccato of raindrops pelting the car, coalescing into a steady, even rhythm.

Hinata wasn't sure how long they had been driving; without any way of checking his watch or phone, he couldn't tell how much time had passed, but it felt like longer than it probably should have been.  "You're not taking me around in circles to throw off your location, are you?" he eventually asked.

"We have no time for that," came Pekoyama's clipped voice.

"And knowing you, you probably didn't even think to start counting the turns until just now, anyway."

"Hey, that's not true!" Hinata retorted to Kuzuryu's jab.  It had actually occurred to him a few minutes earlier that he could mentally keep track of their route... but it was true that it _had_ been too late to be of much use.

After a few more minutes, Hinata started to feel a sort of pressure in his ears, and he frowned.  The air pressure was changing, indicating a change in elevation... were they going into the _mountains_?  Inwardly, he tried to keep from panicking; were they leaving Tokyo?  He hadn't gotten a good look at Kuzuryu's residence card that first night that they met, but he was pretty sure he would have noticed and remembered if it had indicated that the Kuzuryus lived in a different prefecture.  So were they not going to the house after all?

Was he being taken into a remote place to finally be killed off?

He shook his head.  After all the time he had spent with Kuzuryu, it was ridiculous to jump to such conclusions.

"Um, can you maybe get off?"

"Huh?"  Shaken from his thoughts, Hinata suddenly realized that he was grasping something soft and warm in his right hand... and realizing that it was probably Kuzuryu's arm, he hurriedly let go and backed away.  "Sorry!  I didn't— sorry."

Kuzuryu didn't immediately respond, but Hinata thought he heard Pekoyama chuckle lightly.  For the first time during the drive, Hinata found himself truly wishing he could see, if only to find out what sort of expression Kuzuryu was making to elicit that sort of reaction.

"Shut up, Peko," the yakuza mumbled.  "Anyway, we're almost there, so relax and stop fucking cutting off my circulation, okay?"

"Was I really grabbing you that hard?"

Hinata got no answer to his question.

Shortly afterward the car came to a stop, and Hinata was hustled out of the car, his hood removed just in time for him to make out the dark shapes of rustling leaves against the stormy sky before being pulled into the house.

"Are we really still in Tokyo?"  Hinata couldn't help himself from asking, taken aback by how rural the surroundings seemed to be.

"It doesn't matter where the fuck we are," Kuzuryu snapped.

"We're still in Tokyo," Pekoyama confirmed.

"Goddammit, Peko, I—"

"Welcome home, Young Master!"

Without warning, a crowd of men flooded the entranceway.  Hinata was taken aback by the sudden chorus of voices and just barely managed to stop himself from stumbling backward into Pekoyama.  He had seen plenty of comedies where yakuza leaders would be welcomed home by a veritable mob of underlings, but he had always assumed it was just a gag that never actually happened in real life.

Though once the initial shock had passed, Hinata realized that no, it wasn't exactly like in the movies.  He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something in the men's expressions...  It almost seemed like there was a sort of desperation lying just beneath the surface, but what could that mean?

Whatever it was, Kuzuryu seemed to take no notice, his response nonchalant as he slipped off his shoes.  "Yeah, I'm home, whatever.  Now stop crowding the entrance, I can't get through."

The crowd parted to let the yakuza heir through, and after some hesitation, Hinata stepped out of his own shoes and followed Kuzuryu into the short hallway to the front living room.  He watched the gangsters out of the corner of his eye as he passed; for the most part, they seemed to fit his mental image of the stereotypical yakuza grunt, sporting scars and tattoos and jewelry.  Upon spotting someone missing a pinky finger, though, he immediately diverted his attention elsewhere, his stomach churning.  That wasn't a reality that he felt quite ready to face.

Instead, he leaned forward to whisper into Kuzuryu's ear.  "What was that about?  Do they always do that?"

Kuzuryu looked at Hinata, mouth set into an uncomfortable frown, but just as he was about to answer his gaze shifted focus to a point beyond Hinata's shoulder, and he quickly looked away.  "It's nothing," he murmured.  "Don't worry about it."

Despite Kuzuryu's quickened pace across the floor, Hinata paused and turned in the direction the young heir had been looking moments earlier.  He found himself peering through a doorway leading to a connected living area where another group of gangsters had gathered, but as a stark contrast to those who had welcomed Kuzuryu home, they were glaring with barely contained venom.  Hinata frowned in confusion.  They couldn't be glaring at _him_ , could they?  Beyond being an outsider, Hinata couldn't have done anything to justify such a response already.  They wouldn't even know about his profession.

So had their wrath been directed towards _Kuzuryu_?

"Hinata."  He nearly jumped when he heard Pekoyama's hissed whisper at his ear.  "Let's go."

"Uh, right."  He took one last glance at the room before following after to catch up with Kuzuryu.  "But what was—"

"Just leave it be, Hinata."

Hinata shut himself up, frowning as he dutifully kept his questions to himself.  He had expected that the Kuzuryu home would be far from anything he had ever experienced before, but it was all leaving him more puzzled than he could have imagined.

"Hurry it up," Kuzuryu grumbled, grabbing Hinata's sleeve to pull him into the corridor.  "Let's get you settled in before—"

"Fuyuhiko!"

Kuzuryu stopped short, grimacing and immediately dropping Hinata's arm.

Hinata turned to see a large, intimidating man approaching them from down the corridor.  He was dressed in a dark kimono and haori, giving the distinct impression that this was someone of much greater importance than the other gangsters they had passed.  Above all, he was _tall_ ; at 179 centimeters, Hinata didn't meet too many people taller than himself, but he could see himself needing to crane his neck just to look the man in the face.  Of course, it wouldn't help that he'd probably end up cowering in the man's presence to begin with.

Cursing under his breath, Kuzuryu shoved Hinata backward, stepping up to address the man.  "Dad," he said simply.

" _Dad?!_ " Hinata whispered to Pekoyama at his side.  "That's Kuzuryu's _dad_?!"

Pekoyama gave a small, wry smile.  "The young master takes very much after his mother," she answered.

"Fuyuhiko," the man repeated.  "Where the hell have you been all day?"

Kuzuryu shrugged.  "I was in Hachioji.  Got a problem with that?"

"That's all the more reason you should have been in contact with the office."  The mob boss crossed his arms across his chest, glaring down at his son.  "If you were in Hachioji, why weren't you taking charge of any of the work we have there?"

"It's not that I wasn't—"  Kuzuryu glanced back quickly at Hinata and Pekoyama.  "Listen, just leave me the fuck alone, all right?  I'm doing my own stuff at my own pace, so back off, old man."

His father hardened his glare, but then he looked past Kuzuryu, his gaze settling on Hinata.  "So who's that?"

Hinata would have answered for himself, except that he very suddenly couldn't find his voice.

"That's Hinata," Kuzuryu answered instead.  "He's... a friend.  We both got stuck in the rain, so..."

Silently, the godfather approached Hinata, who fought with all his might not to wither under the man's intense gaze.  He had no idea what to do or what to prepare for; even with his police training, he had a feeling that Kuzuryu's father could snap him in half like a twig with very little effort.

The man stared down at Hinata fiercely for several nerve-wracking moments, and just when Hinata thought his legs would give way beneath him, Kuzuryu's father nodded in approval.  "Good eyes," he said gruffly, and clapped a hand on Hinata's shoulder.  "Feel free to stay the night."

"I... yeah," Hinata managed, finally finding his voice again.  "Thank you."

The mob boss then turned back to address his son.  "But you and I need to talk.  Come with me."

Kuzuryu looked about ready to protest, but he ultimately held back, nodding his compliance.  "Fine, whatever.  Pekoyama," he said, turning to his bodyguard.  "You take Hinata and get him settled in, got it?"

The silver-haired woman bowed.  "Understood, Young Master."

" _Now_ , Fuyuhiko."

With one last glance in Hinata's direction, Kuzuryu turned and followed his father deeper into the house.

Hinata glanced at Pekoyama awkwardly, suddenly aware that this was the first time he had been alone with the woman for more than a few moments.

"The Master seems to like you," she said.

"Oh.  Yeah?"  Hinata laughed nervously; he wasn't sure what to think about members of the yakuza taking such a shine to him, and a godfather at that.

Pekoyama said nothing further in response, simply studying Hinata silently for a moment.  "Hmm," she said finally.  "In any case, let me show you to your guest room."

* * *

Walking through the house with Pekoyama gave Hinata the his first chance to really take in the Kuzuryu household.  It seemed to be a traditional Japanese house, and they were walking through what would have been the outer veranda if it weren't for the wooden storm doors that currently enclosed the space.  He could hear so many tree branches whipping the storm doors in the wind that he once again found himself wondering if they really were still in Tokyo.

The house was also very large, if the sheer length of the veranda was any indication.  At one point Pekoyama stopped, leading Hinata to believe that they had arrived at the room she was guiding him to, but she simply pulled a futon and some bedding from a closet before handing it over to Hinata and leading him down yet another corridor.

Finally, after several more minutes of walking, she stopped in front of a shoji door and opened it to reveal an empty room.  "This will be your guest room," she stated simply as Hinata took the opportunity to free his arms and place the bedding on the floor.  "The toilet is down the hall that way, and if you want to take a bath, it's further down and around the corner over there.  Ah, and don't enter this room here."  Pekoyama indicated a door two doors up from Hinata's guest room.  "That room belonged to the young miss, and if you step foot in there I can guarantee there will be bloodshed."

Hinata took a moment to process all the information he had suddenly been given.  "Hold on, 'young miss'?  Does Kuzuryu have a sister?"  He decided to pointedly ignore the more threatening part of her statement.

Pekoyama froze, then turned towards Hinata slowly, a considering look on her face.  "...I see.  I suppose he wouldn't tell you that, would he..."

Hinata wasn't sure if he had been meant to hear those quietly murmured words, but he persisted with his questions.  "And you used the past tense.  Did something happen to her?"

"Hinata."  Pekoyama fixed him with a hard, stern stare.  "This is something you should be discussing with the young master, not me."

There was a beat of silence between them.  "...Yeah," Hinata agreed finally.  "You're right.  Sorry, Pekoyama."

Pekoyama studied him for a moment longer before speaking again.  "...But I should warn you, it's—"

"Oh, Peko-chan!"

Their conversation was cut short by a light, airy voice, and Hinata turned to see Kuzuryu's mother approaching from down the hallway.

He had never met the woman before, of course, but the instant Hinata saw her he knew that must be who she was.  She was a petite woman with long blonde hair pinned up into a bun, and despite her fond smile, there was an intensity about her that instantly put Hinata on edge.

Pekoyama was right: Kuzuryu _definitely_ took after his mother.

"I'm so glad you're home," the woman enthused, gently taking Pekoyama's hands in her own.  "I trust that you've brought Fuyuhiko-chan home safely as well?"

Hinata stifled a laugh.   _Fuyuhiko-chan?_

"Of course, ma'am," Pekoyama answered in her usual stiff tone.  "I wouldn't return without him."

Kuzuryu's mother nodded.  "Thank you for always taking such good care of him."  She turned her head then and focused her gaze on Hinata.  "And who is this?"

Hinata immediately fixed his posture and bent forward in a bow.  "My name's Hajime Hinata," he greeted.  "I'm a friend of Kuzu— uh, of Fuyuhiko... san.  Sorry for the intrusion."

"Hmm..."  As Hinata stood up straight again, he saw the woman stepping lightly towards him, peering up into his face with an appraising look.  Hinata stared back, unsure of what to do but feeling that it wouldn't be right to break from the woman's gaze.

Finally, she smiled softly at him.  "Well, it's _very_ nice to meet you."  Just as she had with Pekoyama, she reached forward and took Hinata's hands, holding them gently, her fingertips mere feather touches against his palms.  Her hands were cold; Hinata remembered reading somewhere that having cold hands meant a person had a warm heart, but given the frightening aura he could sense behind her kind facade, he wasn't sure how true that was in this case.  Even so, those soft, cool hands were what Hinata could only describe as "motherly."

Without thinking, he jerked away from her touch.

Kuzuryu's mother blinked up at him, then smiled gently.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.  But please make yourself at home tonight, Hinata-kun.  Hopefully the storm should pass before morning."

"R-right, thanks."  Hinata nodded and rubbed his hands surreptitiously against his slacks, trying to fight the desire to rudely shove them into his pockets.  "Thanks for letting me stay the night."

She gave him one last smile before turning back to Pekoyama.  "Peko-chan, where is Fuyuhiko-chan, by the way?"

"Master Akihiko took him aside a little while ago, so I assume that they're still in the midst of discussion."

"I see..."  Kuzuryu's mother's smile faded, a dark look falling upon her face.  "It seems I have matters to attend to, then.  If you'll excuse me..."  Smiling sweetly once again, she bowed and turned to leave.

The two returned the bow, straightening up again once Kuzuryu's mother had turned the corner, and Hinata was surprised to see Pekoyama's usual expression of cool indifference break into a worried frown.  "What is it?" he asked.

She sighed and shook her head.  "It's nothing.  In any case, you've met every member of the Kuzuryu main family now."  Pekoyama turned to face Hinata directly; her expression was steady once again, but he could still detect some faint concern.  "Will you be fine on your own from here?  I should go check on the young master before the situation takes a turn for the worse..."

"Oh, yeah, sure."  He actually wasn't entirely comfortable being alone in a house full of yakuza, but if something had Pekoyama of all people so on edge, it didn't seem right to keep her from whatever "a turn for the worse" might be.  "It's just setting up the futon in that guest room there, right?  I think I can manage."

She gave a short nod and turned to leave.  "Right.  I'll be going, then."

Hinata watched Pekoyama disappear around the corner, then turned to go into the guest room when he paused.

He looked towards the room two doors up the hall.

_"You've met every member of the Kuzuryu main family now."_

Hinata gripped the edge of the shoji door tightly as he fully processed the meaning behind those words.

He had met Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, of course, as well as his father and mother.

Whatever sister Kuzuryu may or may not have had, she didn't exist anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is when I started really regretting the decision to translate all the terms of address Peko uses. It's such a pain to figure out alternatives to things like "okusama" and "ojou"! But for the sake of readability, I tried my best!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you want to hear about how terrible my job has been lately, and how it has affected my ability to write productively?
> 
> Of course you don't. On to the chapter!

Taking on a task as mundane as setting up a futon allowed Hinata to bring himself back down to earth and focus on issues much more normal than being suddenly thrust into a hub of criminal activity.

First of all, he was getting awfully hungry.  He and Kuzuryu never did manage to find someplace to eat dinner, and he could only last for so long on the movie theatre popcorn they had shared (salted, _not_ caramel; Kuzuryu had been amusingly adamant on that point).

The second issue was that he was supposed to go to work the next morning, and between the typhoon and apparently being _in the mountains_ , he couldn't see how it would be possible to get back to Kibougaoka in time.  He'd need to call Kirigiri to see if she could cover his shift, and... come to think of it, he would also need to get in touch with the dormitory to let them know he'd be out for the night.  Hinata frowned; he really wasn't looking forward to speaking with the dorm advisor...

Having finished setting up his sleeping quarters for the night, Hinata sat back on his heels and pondered his next course of action.  Sitting around doing nothing didn't sound too riveting, but on the other hand, he was apprehensive about what kind of trouble he'd come across in the Kuzuryu home.  Even as he thought that, he could hear yelling echoing down the hall, indicative of an escalating argument.  Just as he had decided to take that as his cue to stay in the room until Kuzuryu or Pekoyama came to fetch him, he realized that he actually recognized the voices, if only on the barest familiarity.

If his ears were to be trusted, the yelling match was between Kuzuryu's parents.

He frowned; Kuzuryu's mother had been headed to wherever Kuzuryu and his father were having their discussion.  So was Kuzuryu involved in some sort of fight between his parents?

Was that what Pekoyama had been referring to when she suggested things might "take a turn for the worse"?

Suddenly worried about the situation, Hinata stood up and walked to the door.  Upon sliding it open, he noticed that the voices were just a tad bit clearer as they carried down the hall, but still not enough for him to make out what was being said.  He stepped out, closing the door behind him, and headed in the direction that he could best guess the voices were coming from.

He followed the sound of the commotion through the halls; there was probably a shorter route if he passed through some of the rooms rather than taking the long way around the perimeter of the house, but in a yakuza household that really wasn't a risk he felt comfortable taking.  Eventually, after turning down a corridor leading deeper into the house, he arrived at the door where he could most clearly hear the words being yelled from the inside.

"—all because you kept coddling him!"

"Don't you _dare_ blame your leadership failures on our son!"

Hinata wasn't sure if this was something he should be listening to, but as he began backing away from the door, he noticed that he wasn't the only one drawn to the sound of the argument. He only just barely managed to avoid bumping into a gangster behind him, and quick glance around confirmed that a whole group of gang members were crowding towards the source of the noise, some flexing and cracking their knuckles in preparation of a fight.  Suddenly Hinata was absolutely sure that he did not want to be there, and his gaze swept across the group, trying to find the least menacing men he could squeeze past to escape—

—then he jumped in surprise when there was a sharp crashing sound, followed immediately by shards of broken ceramic embedding themselves into the paper panels of the sliding door.

As he tried to process what was happening, the door slammed open and the throng of gangsters started to move in, only to take a step back when there was a blur of silver; Pekoyama had flown out the door, one hand with Kuzuryu in tow and the other wielding a bamboo practice sword.

Through the haze of confusion clouding his mind, Hinata felt a wave of relief, the guilt of not questioning the woman's ever-present sword case washing off of him.  A practice sword was perfectly legal to carry in public.

That relief immediately disintegrated when she let go of Kuzuryu to crack open the bamboo casing, revealing a steel katana blade underneath.

"Goddamn it, Peko, stop!"  Kuzuryu shoved himself forward and forcefully pushed Pekoyama's hands downward, breaking her stance.

"Young Master..."  The murderous glint in her crimson eyes melted away, and after sparing one more glance at the crowd of gangsters, she obediently replaced the bamboo decoy casing and stowed the sword back in its sling-case.  "Very well.  My apologies."

"I keep telling you, I can handle this shit."  Kuzuryu shot a nasty glare at one man at the edge of the group who seemed ready to pounce and start a fight, then moved his gaze along the crowd to survey his surroundings.  "All right, break it up, you bloodthirsty dumbasses.  This is no time to be..." He trailed off when he made eye contact with Hinata, clearly trying but failing to mask his alarm.  "Hinata?"  He glanced sidelong at Pekoyama before focusing on him again.  "I thought you were setting up the— how long have— what are you doing here?"

"Uh..." Hinata couldn't immediately find the right words to say; he absolutely had made the wrong choice in being there, that much was certain, and the argument still raging in the next room over only drove that point home further.  "I've only been here about a minute or so, I didn't... hear anything, really," he assured the blond.  "I was just, kind of... could I have my phone back for a moment?  I'm supposed to work tomorrow so I should let my sempai know..."

Kuzuryu studied Hinata's face warily, but he seemed satisfied that Hinata was telling the truth and visibly relaxed.  "Are you fucking serious?  Fine, follow me."  He grabbed Hinata's sleeve and took a near-imperceptible glance around the huddle before choosing a direction to leave in.  "You," he declared, lightly kicking one of the men in the shin.  "Let me through.  And all of you, break it up!"

Hinata let himself be dragged from the dissipating throng of gangsters and out into the main corridor.  He could still hear the argument fading away as distance was put between them and the room, and he frowned.  "Wait, is everything all right back there, though?  What even happened?  It sounded pretty bad..."

Kuzuryu glanced over his shoulder briefly in the direction they had left from.  "Shit, that was nothing.  Mom came barging in screaming her head off, Dad answered in kind, they went at it for a bit, and finally Dad got fed up and threw this big fucking vase across the room.  And of course Pekoyama whipped her sword out to smash the thing in midair.  Happens all the time."

Hinata blanched at the dismissive way he described the events.  "All the time?  And you're okay with that?"

"Never said I was _okay_ with it, but that's just the way it's always been.  Gotten kinda used to it, I guess."

Hinata studied Kuzuryu thoughtfully; he sure _seemed_ to be largely unaffected by it all.  And for what it was worth, the yelling had faded completely; the argument must have settled down a bit, because it wasn't carrying down the hall the way it had prior.  All he could hear now were the tree branches assaulting the storm doors and the strong winds whistling through the branches outside.   "Your parents don't get along, then?"

"Sure they get along, they just fight a lot, you know?"

Hinata didn't know, honestly.  He wasn't sure how to respond to that, though, and pursuing a line of questioning about what was being discussed in the first place was obviously out of the question, so he decided to change the subject entirely.

"So, about my phone..."

"Right, that."  Kuzuryu let go of Hinata's sleeve (Hinata had forgotten that he had still been holding on) and looked up at him.  "I'm taking you to one of our phones, and you can call her from there.  Cell service is shitty up here anyway."

"Oh, but..."  Kuzuryu took a turn around a corner, and Hinata dutifully followed after.  "Um, I'll still need my phone back, though.  I have her number saved in my contacts..."  He felt a little sheepish about pushing the issue, but he had long since acquiesced to the typical millennial habit of leaving number memorization to his cell phone.

Kuzuryu sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair irritably.  "Seriously?  Fine, I'll give you your phone back, but only for a moment.  Just keep following me for now."

"And we never got any dinner, did we?"

"Yeah, and because of someone's bright idea to look for a place to eat, we got soaked, remember?"

Hinata rolled his eyes.  "I'm not trying to be smart, I'm just wondering if we can get something to eat now."

"Yeah, sure," Kuzuryu said airily.  "We're actually all having dinner in about half an hour anyway."

"You could have said that to start with instead of making a dig at me."

Kuzuryu grinned up at him—the first smile of any sort that Hinata had seen of the yakuza since arriving at the house—then stopped in front of a door, sliding it open.  "There's a phone you can use right in here, come on in."

Hinata followed Kuzuryu into the room—another living area, it seemed, decorated with various wall hangings, and in the corner was a small table where a landline phone sat.

"Okay, great," Hinata said, stepping over to the phone.  "And my cell?"

"Sure, right."  Kuzuryu dug into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out Hinata's smartphone, holding it out for him to take.  "I'll be watching you, though, so no funny business, all right?"  He leaned against the adjacent wall, keeping Hinata in his sights.  "Not that you'd be able to do much of anything without service."

"I wouldn't do anything regardless," Hinata promised, taking the phone and holding down the power button to turn it on.  As he watched it boot up, though, he noticed the tiny icon indicating that the device's GPS was still turned on.

He frowned; it was true that he had no service at the moment, and if his phone wasn't pinging any cell towers, it wouldn't be detecting his location.  But it seemed like such a gamble to take that for granted, and he couldn't imagine that Kuzuryu would have simply forgotten to turn it off.  If Kuzuryu was trying to keep the location a secret, why would he risk keeping the GPS on?

Unless Kuzuryu trusted him not to try looking up the location after all?

Hinata looked back at Kuzuryu, shocked and a little confused by that thought.  Sure, it made sense that they would have built up some trust between them over the weeks, but to see evidence of that so plainly...

Kuzuryu glanced away, cheeks reddening.  "The fuck are you gawking at?  Hurry up and call her already."

"Ah, right, sorry."  Hinata turned back towards the landline phone, feeling his own cheeks going warm.  He hadn't even realized that he was staring.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Hinata quickly navigated to Kirigiri's entry in his contacts and punched the numbers into the landline phone.  As he listened to the trill of the ringback tone, he tapped his cell phone nervously against his thigh and tried not to be too conscious of Kuzuryu leaning against the wall behind him.

It seemed to be close to an eternity before Kirigiri picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Sempai!  Hi!"  Hinata floundered, all too aware of how unnatural he sounded, and tried to block Kuzuryu's presence from his mind for the moment.  "Uh, it's me."

"Hinata-kun..."  Kirigiri trailed off into thoughtful silence, and Hinata began to wonder if he had really sounded that strange when she spoke again.  "Why are you calling from a screened number?"

Hinata grimaced, just barely managing to keep himself from making a sound of exasperation.  A screened number.  Of _course_ it was a screened number.  "Uh, is it?" he said, choosing to feign ignorance.  "I don't know, I've got no service on my cell and this is the only phone I could find to use..."

"Hmm."  Hinata couldn't tell from her tone if Kirigiri was buying that excuse, but to his relief, she didn't push the issue.  "No matter.  Are you somewhere safe from the storm, then?"

He wasn't sure if he'd call a yakuza household "safe," per se, but it was true that he was well-shielded from the typhoon.  "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, glancing quickly back at Kuzuryu.  "I don't think I'll be able to make it in to work tomorrow, though.  I'm really sorry, but would you be able to cover my shift?  I can work both shifts next weekend in return..."

"That's fine," Kirigiri said easily.  "It should be slow anyway, but we have backup from Kitazawa on-call in case we need it."

"Thanks," Hinata sighed, relieved.  "I might be able to make it in around noon or so, but I can't say for sure..."

"Just don't even bother," Kirigiri said bluntly.  "If you push yourself too hard, you'll be too exhausted to be productive."  She paused.  "I must admit that I'm curious where you are if it's that much of a hassle to make it in.  You're not at the dormitory, I take it?"

"Uh, no, I'm..."  Hinata gripped his cell phone anxiously.  "I... got stuck further inland."

"Where, exactly?"

Where?  How was Hinata supposed to answer that when he didn't know the answer himself?  He glanced back at Kuzuryu again before turning forward, tapping his cell phone against his cheek in thought.  "Um, actually I'm not really—"

Suddenly the fingers curled around his cell phone were empty, and Hinata turned sharply towards Kuzuryu, who was once again pocketing the device.  "Hey!" he exclaimed, covering the receiver of the house phone so that Kirigiri couldn't overhear.  "I'm not done with that!"

"Yes you fucking are," Kuzuryu huffed.  "You needed it to get her phone number, and now you have it."

"I need to call the dorms after this!"  Hinata reached for the phone, but instinctively reeled back when his hand brushed against Kuzuryu's arm.

That was... weird.

Kuzuryu simply rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall again, resolutely not meeting Hinata's gaze as he began fiddling with the touchscreen himself.

"Kuzuryu!" Hinata hissed, but he was pulled away from the minor scuffle when he heard Kirigiri's voice speak up again.

"You're with someone."  It was a statement, not a question.

Hinata removed his hand from the mouthpiece.  "It's just Kuzuryu!"

"Well, yes, given your recent social habits, that _would_ be the logical conclusion."  Kirigiri's voice was amused.  "What did you think I was implying, Hinata-kun?"

Mortified, Hinata covered his face with his free hand, having completely abandoned efforts to retrieve his cell phone.

"But it's never _just_ _Kuzuryu_ , is it?"

The sudden seriousness of her tone put Hinata on edge, and he frowned at the receiver.  "What are you trying to say?"

"You do remember what I told you before, correct?"

What she told him before... Hinata didn't need to hear any more than that to know that she was referring to the night she had confronted him about Kuzuryu's identity.

_Be careful.  Remember your professional commitments._

_A dead cop helps no one._

Of course he remembered those words.  They were always present somewhere in his consciousness, though admittedly not always at the forefront of his mind.

Kuzuryu chose that moment to push himself away from the wall and stand at Hinata's side, close enough for their forearms to brush against each other, and Hinata found himself somewhat distracted by the gentle contact.

He was always aware in some capacity of the danger in associating with Kuzuryu, but he had to admit—only to himself, not to Kirigiri—that there were times like this when it came very close to slipping his mind.

But he couldn't let his guard down—especially since logic would dictate that Kuzuryu was only standing so close in order to listen in on the call.

"You're at the Kuzuryu household, aren't you?"

Those decisive words brought Hinata's focus back on the conversation, though it didn't escape his notice how Kuzuryu stiffened at his side.  "That's..."  He floundered for a response.  "This isn't really the time to talk about that."

Kirigiri hummed thoughtfully, and Hinata could easily visualize her tapping a gloved finger against her chin.  "Yes, I suppose you're right.  But be careful."  There was a brief pause, and her next words had a softer tone.  "I'll cover your shift, so don't worry about making it in to work tomorrow."

Hinata felt himself relax somewhat, grateful to be off that subject.  "Thanks."

"Have you called the dormitory yet?"

Hinata groaned.  "Not yet.  Not looking forward to it, either."

He heard Kirigiri chuckle lightly on the other end of the line.  "Don't tell me you're still holding a grudge?"

Hinata frowned; during the police exhibition tournament the year before, he had been matched against his dorm advisor.  "You didn't hear what he said to me, Sempai."

"Indeed, I can't imagine that simply losing a friendly sparring match would be enough to prompt someone like you to punch him."

He groaned.  "Sempai, can we not talk about this?"

Kirigiri chuckled again.  "Fine.  We'll leave it at that, then.  I'll see you on Monday, Hinata-kun."

"Right," Hinata agreed.  "Stay safe, Sempai."

There was a click in his earpiece followed by the dial tone, and Hinata hung up the phone, sighing.

"You actually punched the guy?"

Hinata groaned and turned to Kuzuryu; the yakuza was looking at him with cautious approval.  "Yeah, and I got my ass handed to me as a result.  The guy did boxing in high school."

Kuzuryu barked out a short laugh, shaking his head.  "Man, you're a dumbass."

"Gee, thanks," Hinata answered dryly.  "Now could you give me my cell phone again?  I need—"

"Here."  Kuzuryu brandished a small slip of paper with a series of numbers scrawled across it.  "The contact named 'asshole dorm advisor,' right?  Got the number for you."

"...Oh," Hinata said lamely, argument for the return of his cell phone dying on his lips.  He wasn't sure how he felt about Kuzuryu seeing such an immature naming convention in his contacts.  "Well, thanks."

Number in hand, Hinata called him up, and after stiffly briefing his dorm advisor on the situation, he hung up and turned to Kuzuryu.  "Guess I'm done making calls now."

"Good."  Kuzuryu powered down the cell phone and stuffed it back into his pocket.  "Now I don't know about you, but I'm starving.  Dinner should be about ready now."

"Thank god."  After the stress of the two phone calls, Hinata was hungrier than ever.  "Lead the way, Kuzuryu."

* * *

Dinner at the Kuzuryu household had been... well, Hinata wasn't sure how to describe it.  It was loud and oppressive, with people coming and going as they pleased.  It wasn't what he would imagine a large family dinner would be under normal circumstances, but it wasn't exactly like a dormitory dining hall, either.  The table was awfully crowded, and Hinata found himself squeezed between an imposing gangster on one side and Kuzuryu on the other.

Both of them had him on edge, oddly enough.

He didn't manage to eat as much as he would have hoped, uncomfortable as he was in the unfamiliar circumstances, but when Kuzuryu suggested staying up for snacks and drinks afterward, Hinata gladly accepted.  It was a relief to latch on to some form of normalcy in the situation.

There was still the ever-present presence of yakuza cronies passing through the rooms, engaging in their own late-night activities, but drinking with Kuzuryu was comfortable and familiar, and Hinata managed to mostly block out the rest to relax with his friend.

"So exactly how drunk are we looking to get tonight?" Kuzuryu said wryly, looking over their growing collection of empty cans.  "This might very well rival the night we first met, at this rate."

"I'll have you know I was mostly sober that night," Hinata said, slowly swirling the drink in his half-empty beer can.  "I don't think I managed to even finish my drink, seeing as _someone_ decided to climb all over me."

"Fuck me, did I really?"  Kuzuryu laughed bitterly.  "I'll try not to do that again."

Hinata flushed a bit at the thought of a repeat performance.  "Uh, speaking of that night," he said, pointedly directing his thoughts elsewhere, "I had some theories about you after that all happened.  Wanna hear?"

"Why should I care about your dumbass theories?" Kuzuryu replied, feigning indifference.  "But whatever.  Shoot."

Hinata grinned.  "My best guess was that you were a yakuza drowning his frustrations in booze after a failed deal."

"Hmm," Kuzuryu hummed thoughtfully as he took a sip of his beer, stalling before he could answer.  "Yakuza, yes.  Fuckin' obviously. The rest..."  He trailed off, face falling a bit as he considered.  "Can't confirm the rest."

Hinata wasn't sure what to make of that reaction, but he tried to keep his response light-hearted.  "So that means I'm right."

Kuzuryu grinned cheekily, but there was a certain hollowness in it.  "Drop it, Hinata.  You can try asking about something else, but not that."

"Fine..."  So that was a no-go after all.  Hinata thought for a moment before continuing on a different subject.  "So why don't you have your tattoos yet?  I thought I heard that people from yakuza families usually get their first tattoo in their teens."

"That's your idea of a better question?"  Kuzuryu scoffed and took a sip of his beer before continuing.  "You've got some nerve asking about that.  Didn't I say I have to prove myself first?"

"Yeah, but..."  Hinata paused and traced the top of his beer can; he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol making him less restrained in conversation, but for some reason his curiosity was winning out over the feeling that he should just shut the fuck up.  "Why should you even need to prove yourself?  Aren't you a shoe-in as the heir?"

Kuzuryu was silent a moment, and when Hinata looked over at him, their gazes met.  Hinata felt the breath catch in his throat, but then Kuzuryu looked away, staring at nothing in particular.

"Technically, I was supposed to get the dragon tattoo when I turned eighteen.  But some shit came up and it's been put off."

"For _seven years_?!"

Kuzuryu didn't answer, only gazed back at Hinata with a blank look on his face.

Alcohol be damned, that was really not territory he should be treading on just yet.  Quickly, he tried to think of another subject to change to.  "Uh, by the way, your phone."  Hinata swirled the beer in his beer can idly.  "I'm not going to go prying into your business, you should know that by now.  But why do you get so worked up about me so much as touching your phone?"

Life returned to Kuzuryu's face, and he scoffed.  "It's not that I don't trust you not to go snooping around, 'cause I do."  He paused as his face screwed up slightly, as if he was regretting what he had just admitted.  "You're just a dumbass who has no sense of self-preservation."

"Self-preservation?"

"Fucking shit, just think about it."  Kuzuryu placed the beer can on the table and pointed a finger at Hinata.  "If I get caught and put in the slammer one day, and they inspect my phone, what the hell do you think it'll mean for you when they find _your_ prints on there?"

Hinata felt a warmth growing in his chest as he considered those words—a warmth that had nothing to do with the alcohol.  He placed his own can down on the table and leaned toward Kuzuryu.  "You really care so much for my wellbeing, Kuzuryu?  I'm flattered."

"Don't get full of yourself."  Despite his words, Kuzuryu leaned closer as well, grinning slyly.  "I just get really pissed off when people don't take care of themselves."

Hinata's head was spinning, and their faces were so close, and he was acutely aware of the adorable dusting of pink on Kuzuryu's cheeks.  "Well," he breathed, fighting to form the words, "thanks for taking care of me."

_God_ he wanted to kiss him.

Hinata's thoughts skidded to a sudden halt.

He blinked, moving back slowly, suddenly too aware of the odd expression Kuzuryu was looking at him with.

He wanted to what?

He wanted to kiss Kuzuryu?

"I—"  Hinata looked away, and quickly, too quickly, pushed himself to his feet, trying not to wobble too much at the sudden movement.  "I need to go... use the bathroom.  Yeah."

Kuzuryu turned away and gave a short laugh, though Hinata couldn't make out his expression.  "What, gotta blow chunks?  You lightweight."

Hinata forced a laugh in return.  "Yeah, I'll... be right back," he said before rushing out and fumbling to find the nearest bathroom.

It took him a moment to locate one, but once he did, he dashed inside and shut the door securely behind him.  Leaning against the sink for support, he stared at himself in the mirror.

He was attracted to Kuzuryu.

It wasn't that revelation in itself that was so staggering.  He wasn't a stranger to finding others attractive, man or woman... but that was exactly why he was so shocked that he hadn't realized it earlier.  It was something he should have been aware of much earlier, but he wasn't, and in the meantime it had grown into something nearly unmanageable.

He groaned and lowered himself to the floor, leaning against the wall as he buried his head in his hands.  How had that happened?  He thought back over the past few weeks, trying to pinpoint when his feelings had changed, but he just couldn't figure it out.  The only real change that had taken place was when Kuzuryu had transformed from a mystery to... not as much of a mystery.

Hinata stared at his hands blankly.  That was the only change?

If that was the only real change that had occurred during their time together, wouldn't it stand to reason that an attraction to Kuzuryu had always been present?

From the very start?

The idea was staggering.  Why hadn't Hinata realized sooner?  He couldn't possibly be so out-of-touch with his own feelings, could he?

Or was it _because_ Kuzuryu was the object of his attractions?

There were so many other factors surrounding Kuzuryu—his family, his business, his secrecy—that in a way, it made sense that Hinata would have been distracted by all of that while a physical attraction towards him grew in secret, unnoticed even by himself.  There had been clues the entire time, looking back—his ever-intensifying consciousness of the other man with every fleeting touch, every shared look, but as the mysteries surrounding Kuzuryu had melted away, that had all simply become the norm in their interactions.  Hinata hadn't even given them a second thought.

And now they had grown to such proportions that he couldn't ignore them.

Hinata sagged against the wall as he realized exactly what he had gotten himself into.

He hadn't been in a relationship since high school.  He had never acted on any fleeting attraction he had felt towards anyone in years, preoccupied as he was with school, work, and family.  He had never put himself into the position that he'd have to make a decision on whether to pursue something more.

But Kuzuryu wasn't just a passing acquaintance.  He had forged a friendship with him—he had gone _out of his way_ to do so—and now he had to figure out whether it would be appropriate to consider taking that relationship elsewhere.  If he even _wanted_ to take it elsewhere.

What _did_ he want?  Hinata had thought it was just friendship he was aiming for those past few weeks, but suddenly there was the possibility that he might actually be... falling in love with Kuzuryu.  A yakuza heir.

Just the thought of that set his nerves on edge, his stomach churning.  As a police officer, was such a thing even fathomable?  He never could have imagined that and wasn't sure if he was ready to face the possibility.

He shook his head and climbed back to his feet, again relying on the sink for support.  He was not in the right mind to think about that at the moment.  He turned the tap and splashed cool water on his face.  It helped to clear his head, but only a little bit.

Groaning, he turned the water off and left the bathroom.  Whatever it was that he was feeling, he just wasn't in the mood to face Kuzuryu right away.  He returned to the door to the living space and opened it just slightly, knocking to get Kuzuryu's attention.  "Hey."

Kuzuryu turned his head in his direction, but Hinata stared resolutely at the door jamb, not meeting the blond's gaze.  "What's up?"

"I think I'm actually gonna go to sleep now," he said, speaking more to the door than anything else.  "Sorry, but I'm not feeling too great all of a sudden.  I'll see you in the morning, then?"

"If you say so," Kuzuryu huffed.  "Night, Hinata."

"Good night, Kuzuryu."  Relieved to have that discussion out of the way, Hinata pushed away from the door and made his way back to his guest room.

With this new revelation, he had no idea how to face Kuzuryu.  He wasn't sure how he'd be able to look him in the face in the morning.  Could he even pretend to act normal around him now?

For the time being, getting some rest so he could approach the situation with a clear head seemed like the best course of action.  So he eventually managed to find his way back to the room, and after peeking inside to make sure he hadn't accidentally tried entering the "young miss"'s room, he went inside and collapsed onto the futon.

With a feeling of dread, Hinata realized that 1) he could recognize the scent of Kuzuryu's laundry detergent, and 2) that was the very scent that would be surrounding him all night long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said in the starting notes that I haven't been able to write much, but actually ever since NaNoWriMo started I've been pretty productive. If you want to keep tabs on my progress, feel free to check my @WFRainbows twitter!
> 
> PS I also started a side story collection called "On the Streets of Kibougaoka" if you're interested. Basically any random little stories I write about side characters (not Kuzuhina) will go over there! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving today here in the US! I hope everyone who celebrates it has had a wonderful day—and of course, I hope you had a fantastic day even if you don't celebrate it!
> 
> Okay, so for the next few chapters, my tentative update schedule is roughly once a week. It sounds kinda crazy, and I can't completely believe that I'm sort of committing to this myself, but I think I can do it...!
> 
> So fair warning, as of this chapter I'm giving a DR3 character some speaking lines. Sorry if you haven't seen DR3 yet! I'm also sorry if you HAVE seen DR3.

If Hinata had ever thought that he would one day spend the night with a yakuza family—and make no mistake, up until very recently he had never considered that to even be within the realm of possibility—he couldn't have thought that it would be particularly easy to endure.  The reality, it turned out, was far more difficult than he would have ever imagined.

Because he certainly would never have dreamt that he’d also have to deal with the revelation that he was developing feelings for the family’s heir..

Hinata laid motionless in the futon, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling and listening to the heavy storm doors being opened outside his room.  It was morning, according to his wristwatch, but he hadn't managed to get much sleep at all.  He was immensely grateful that Kirigiri actually hadn't taken him up on his offer to come in around noon, because he was certain he wouldn't be able to function properly at work.

There were many thoughts running through his head, as could be expected, but suddenly the one at the forefront of his mind was an internal debate over whether to find an excuse to stay in bed.

All things considered, it was a refreshingly normal thought.

Sighing, he curled up in the covers and tried for the umpteenth time to get some shut-eye, but after only a few minutes there was a knock on his door.  He hesitated to get up and answer it; how was he supposed to act if that were Kuzuryu at the door?  He still hadn't made any headway on sorting out the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling.

When he made no move to answer, there was another knock.  "Hinata, are you awake?"

Pekoyama.  There was no reason why he couldn't talk to Pekoyama.  Hinata pushed back the covers and sat up, feeling a bit woozy from lack of sleep and the lingering effects of alcohol.  "Yeah, I'm up, give me a moment," he called back, then stood up and padded over the floor to slide the door open.

Just outside the door stood Pekoyama with a pile of clothing in her arms, and once Hinata was in her view, she studied him carefully over the rim of her glasses.  "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Huh?  Uh, I'm fine, I guess."  Hinata ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly; he had no idea what he looked like, but judging from her expression, one eyebrow raised questioningly, he probably looked like a wreck.  "Um, so what's up?  Where's Kuzuryu?"  He immediately regretted asking, but the question had fallen from his lips so naturally.

"The young master is still asleep in his room," she answered simply, apparently unaware of Hinata's discomfort and subsequent relief.  "I'm here to bring you this."  She gestured with her chin towards the pile of cloth folded in her arms.  "Your clothes from yesterday.  They've been washed and dried for you."

"Oh, thanks."  Hinata gladly accepted the clothes, and was about to send her off when he mentally backtracked.  "Wait, washed?  They've been washed?  Here?"

"Yes..."  Pekoyama peered curiously up at him.  "Why?  Is that a problem?"

"N-no, not at all," Hinata said, covering the lower half of his face with a hand as he felt his cheeks warming up.  So much for being free of the smell of Kuzuryu's laundry detergent.  "I was just wondering.  Thanks, Pekoyama!"

He took a step back from the door, moving to close it, but Pekoyama's crimson eyes were still focused on him, and he paused.

"Did something happen between you and the young master last night?" she asked finally.

"What?"  Hinata tried to feign ignorance.  "No, not really.  I don't think so.  Why?"

Pekoyama crossed her arms and studied Hinata for a moment—looking quite reminiscent of Kirigiri, now that Hinata thought of it.  "I happened to see you wandering down the hallway away from the room you and the young master were in, and you looked quite... shaken."  She gave him another look-over.  "I'm sorry for prying, but it seemed odd."

"Oh, no.  It's fine," he assured her, though he felt a bit uneasy at the thought that Pekoyama had seen him in that state.  "Um, where... were you, anyway?  Were you watching us?"  He hoped to god she wasn't...

"No, I was..."  She glanced to the side thoughtfully.  "I was monitoring another situation."  She fixed her gaze on him again.  "But no, I wasn't watching you and the young master directly.  I only saw you pass the door when you went down the hall."

"Oh, okay."  Hinata felt relief that she hadn't seen him very nearly make a move on her young master.  "It was nothing really, though.  Just felt a little out of sorts from... drinking too much, I guess?"

"I see," Pekoyama said, but she didn't seem entirely convinced, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, and for one wild moment Hinata wondered if she actually _did_ have a better idea of what happened than she claimed.  "I hope you feel better after getting some sleep, then.  I know that Young Master..."  She trailed off, looking down the hallway once again.  "...I had asked you on a previous occasion to monitor his alcohol intake, did I not?"

Hinata laughed hollowly.  "Sorry about that.  Is he, uh... in a bad state?"

Pekoyama hummed noncommittally.  "I should go wake him now, in any case.  I'll leave you to get ready for the day.  Breakfast is in an hour, and then you'll be driven home."  With a shallow bow, she turned on her heel and walked briskly down the corridor and out of sight.

"Sounds great," Hinata murmured to no one in particular; he didn't exactly feel up to being thrown back into the chaos of the Kuzuryu household just yet, but he could only hole himself up in his room for so long.

Sighing heavily, he stared across the veranda at the newly-revealed courtyard, hoping that perhaps a view of the outside world would help put him more at ease.  There wasn't terribly much to see, though: fallen branches were strewn across the grass and decorative rock displays, and the post-typhoon sky shone down on the world as innocently as a puppy that had just torn up the family couch.

It wasn't the most reassuring sight.

* * *

Hinata sat next to Kuzuryu at breakfast, but few words were exchanged between them.  His stomach felt like it was tied in knots just by being in Kuzuryu's general vicinity, but he forced himself to eat anyway, if only to use as an excuse for his reticence.  Thankfully, Kuzuryu seemed equally averse to chatting, clearly groggy and cranky, if his facial expression was anything to go by.

Halfway through the meal, Hinata finally managed to formulate words without feeling like he was about to vomit everything he was forcing down.  "Doesn't look like you got much sleep last night."

"I don't wanna hear that from you," Kuzuryu grumbled.  "You look like complete shit."

Hinata couldn't very well argue with that, so he returned to trying to make sense of his thoughts.

What _was_ he hoping that Kuzuryu could be to him?

His silent mulling continued through the car ride home—he was blindfolded again, this time in a less ridiculous manner, and he was far too preoccupied to even consider trying to trace the route back.  Even with the blindfold on, Hinata could sense Kuzuryu sitting just a few inches away from him, and it made him too on-edge to offer more than the occasional mindless small talk.

Once Hinata was back at the dorms, he checked in with the advisor, sparing as little thought to the exchange as possible, then retreated to his room.  Collapsing on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling.

Without the distractions of a gang of criminals in his midst, Hinata could finally relax and try to sort through all his thoughts logically.  He wasn't quite sure where to start, but he decided that the most easily identifiable issue was as good a place as any.

Fact: He had wanted to kiss Kuzuryu.

That was in the past tense, but thinking on it, he accepted that it was true in the present tense as well.  The desire perhaps wasn't as strong as it was with alcohol running through his veins, but picturing Kuzuryu in his mind, Hinata found that he definitely wouldn't be averse to kissing the other man's lips, cheeks, nose, every individual freckle... He felt himself flush scarlet as he forcibly pushed those ideas from his mind.  Regardless, the conclusion he had come up with the night before held: he was definitely physically attracted to Kuzuryu to some degree.

Fact: Kuzuryu was yakuza.

It was easy to forget while they were hanging out together as if everything were normal, but Kuzuryu _was_ part of the criminal underground, and his overnight stay at the house had driven that point home loud and clear.  Being a yakuza in itself wasn't a crime, but there were almost certainly other punishable crimes that Kuzuryu was involved in.  Hinata had already reasoned away the issue when it came to being friends, but if their relationship developed into more than that...  It would definitely be _very_ bad if they were discovered.  Was it just a matter of making sure no one found out, then?  Was that a risk Hinata would be willing to take?

Fact: ...

That... was about it, as far as hard facts went.  Hinata was distressed to realize that there wasn't much more he could apply logical thought to, at least not without more information at his disposal—which would likely require speaking and interacting with Kuzuryu again.  And he didn't feel comfortable doing _that_ until he had figured more out about the situation.

He considered the paradox a bit longer, but it wasn't doing much good.  After a half hour of nothing productive coming out of it, Hinata sat back up, groaning.  Maybe he'd go for a walk.

He didn't really have a destination in mind as he walked, breathing in the damp air, but his feet took him to the next town over, in the direction of a video rental store he frequented and figured it was as good of a place to go as any.

"Oh, Hinata-kun!"  Naegi greeted him from behind the service counter as he walked through the door, waving.  "Hi!  That was some storm last night, huh?"

"Yeah..."  Hinata trailed off, glancing about the store aimlessly.  He wasn't sure what he was looking for, if anything, but it was at least refreshing to have a friendly face to speak to.  "Was everything all right on your end?"

"I was at work the whole time, and the power went out for a couple hours," Naegi said, laughing sheepishly.  "Good thing business was dead, but for a while there we were afraid that the frozen foods wouldn't make it.  How was it for you?"

"It was... eventful."  Hinata decided that was as good of an explanation as any, and as they chatted, he browsed the shelves of movies.  "Anything good come out recently?  What do you recommend?"

Naegi stepped out from behind the counter and approached Hinata directly.  "Well, I guess that depends on what you're looking for."  He pointed at a DVD case on the shelf next to them.  "There's this romantic comedy that's been popular lately."

"Uh."  Hinata was hesitant to find entertainment in a matter that hit so close to home at the moment.  "I don't know about that one..."

"I know what you're thinking, but it's really not that girly!" Naegi assured him—and clearly he _didn't_ actually know what Hinata was thinking, but that suited Hinata just fine.  "It's pretty popular with guys, too.  I mean, uh," the shorter man flushed a bit, "I found it to be pretty clever, at least.  The jokes were good and it wasn't too cheesy."

Hinata suppressed a sigh; turning the movie down after Naegi had been so enthusiastic about recommending it seemed almost cruel.  The guy could be surprisingly persuasive, even when he didn't quite exude the self-confidence to back it up.  "Sure, I'll give it a try, then."

Naegi grinned brightly.  "Great!  I'll just ring you up..."

It wasn't until Hinata was halfway home when it occurred to him that he had spent the afternoon prior watching a movie, and he wasn't actually in the mood to watch another.  He had already paid the rental fee, though, and with Naegi's track record of getting in trouble over special favors for friends, he couldn't very well bring himself to ask for a refund against store policy.  He sighed and continued the walk home; might as well give it a watch, then.

Maybe it would actually help him sort out his feelings, somehow.

Back at his dorm room, lounging on the bed with his portable DVD player on his lap, Hinata found it difficult to get much enjoyment out of the movie.  The jokes were clever and well-timed, Naegi had been right about that, and had it been any other time Hinata probably would have liked the movie.  With his current situation weighing on him, however, he found the typical tropes of romantic fiction grating on his nerves.  The completely avoidable drama, the endless miscommunication, everything that went into making the story a story...

Hinata's relationship with Kuzuryu wasn't a _story_.  It was real life.

He persisted throughout the movie, but had to turn it off at the climax, when the male lead helped his romantic interest free her father from yakuza debt collectors.

He plopped the DVD player onto the floor and fell back on the bed.  That was just a little too much for him to deal with.

A few minutes passed before his phone vibrated with a new text message, and he hoped it wasn't Naegi asking for his thoughts on the movie.  He wasn't sure he had it in him to tell the kid that he hadn't enjoyed it at all.

It wasn't Naegi, but seeing the name displayed on the screen made his stomach flip for an entirely different reason.

_> This weekend was kind of fucked up, sorry.  Wanna meet up at Kagayaki tomorrow like usual?_

Hinata chewed his bottom lip, considering Kuzuryu's text.  Tomorrow?  Meeting up with Kuzuryu _tomorrow_?  He wasn't sure if he'd have the answers he needed to look Kuzuryu in the eye again within the next _decade_ , let alone twenty-four hours.

His fingers moved of their own accord, though, and he couldn't find it in himself to keep from sending the reply.

_> Yeah, sure.  Same time as usual?_

He dropped the phone on the bed and groaned, cursing his inability to turn down a request from Kuzuryu.  Of course, he wasn't sure if he'd even be able to give Kuzuryu an excuse that didn't make it obvious that Hinata might be trying to avoid him—and that would be treading dangerously close to the clichés that he had found so unbearable in the movie he had watched.

Hinata was surprised that the movie had given him something concrete to latch on to, after all—no matter what the outcome was of his newfound feelings, he didn't want to pussyfoot around the issue like a fictional character in a drama, dragging it out for the entertainment value.  He was going to face this like a functioning adult, not shy away from it.  And if it did turn out that he was falling in love with a mobster, so be it.  If that was the truth he arrived at, then he'd just have to accept it.

With a new burst of determination welling up in his chest, he picked up his phone and sent out another message.

_> Think you'll drop by the koban tomorrow, too?_

He only had to wait a few short minutes before the response came.

_> Your dumb ass is more interesting than anything else in that shithole town, so I guess._

Hinata had no idea how much of a compliment that was meant to be, but he found himself smiling regardless.

* * *

For all his worrying, facing Kuzuryu again hadn't been as bad as he had feared.  Maybe it was the fact that he had finally managed to settle down and get some decent sleep—once late afternoon had come around the day before, the lack of sleep caught up with him and Hinata had completely crashed.  Either way, he found it was relatively easy to fall into their normal banter as if nothing had happened.

Of course, nothing _had_ happened, at least as far as Kuzuryu knew.  All the panic had been on Hinata's end.  Probably.

With a clearer head, Hinata managed to reason that there were two factors to keep him from pursuing a relationship with Kuzuryu.  The first was the risk of rejection; even if Kuzuryu were interested in men (and Hinata had no clue if he was), there was still the very real possibility that he wouldn't be interested in Hinata specifically.  The second factor was that Hinata honestly didn't know if he harbored romantic feelings for Kuzuryu, or if it was purely a physical attraction.  He liked Kuzuryu a lot, of course, but he also liked Kirigiri, Naegi, and Hanamura.  That didn't mean he wanted to _date_ them.

Both factors had the possibility of ruining a friendship that he valued just fine in its current state, so the question was whether indulging in whatever he was feeling was worth endangering that.  And over the following two days, as he went through the motions as usual, he came to the conclusion that no, it wasn't worth it.  He was perfectly fine with leaving things as they were—well, not _perfectly_ fine, but at the very least he genuinely enjoyed being with Kuzuryu as they were, and whatever other extra emotions could be curbed easily enough.  He hadn't noticed any sort of change from Kuzuryu, either, so that gave him no reason to think any further on the matter.

It was actually a relief to have that figured out.

Hinata supposed, in retrospect, that perhaps that relief had allowed him to let his guard down a bit too much, because he found himself at a complete loss the next night at Kagayaki, after he and Kuzuryu had sat down in their regular seats.

"You're being so cold recently, Hinata-kun!"

Hinata blinked at Hanamura blankly when he slammed his hands on the table he and Kuzuryu were sharing.  "Hanamura, shouldn't you be behind the counter...?"

"Yes!"  Hanamura stood straight upright again, hands on his hips.  "And that's why!  You barely even come talk to me anymore, ever since you and Kuzuryu stopped sitting at the bar!"

Hinata took a moment to fully understand what the cook was saying.  It was true, now that he thought of it... it had been probably two weeks since he and Kuzuryu had sat at the bar.  At some point, their "regular seats" had instead shifted to a table on the dining room floor, tucked into a corner—probably the furthest seats from the bar, now that he thought of it.

Somewhat shocked that such a change had occurred without his notice, he shot a look at Kuzuryu across from him, who averted his gaze, cheeks growing pink.  "Just can't stand the perverted cook is all..." he muttered, low enough that only Hinata could hear.

"Uhh, sorry about that," Hinata said, turning back to Hanamura.  "I guess we kind of wanted to try a... change of pace?"

"Hinata-kun!" Hanamura wailed, flinging his arms around Hinata's arm.  Out of the corner of his eye, Hinata thought he saw Kuzuryu bristle a bit.  "You've changed!  You don't even depend on me anymore like you used to!  What happened?"

Hinata gently pried Hanamura's hands off of him, uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed.  "I, uh... don't think I've changed that much, have I...?"

"Too bad for you, Hanamura!" came a loud cackle from a few tables over, and Hinata turned his head to see Owari laughing at the scene as she waved her beer in the air, Nidai chuckling at her side.  "Looks like you've been dumped!"

"Wha— Owari?!"  Hinata could feel his cheeks beginning to flush.  "No, that's wrong!  I haven't dumped anyone...!"

"Owari-san!"  Hanamura scurried over to her as she continued to laugh.  "You'll comfort me in my time of need, won't you?  Don't you see how Hinata-kun has been treating me?"

"Hunh?  Yeah, sure."  She placed her beer onto the table and faced Hanamura, arms open wide.  "Come on, use my boobs as a pillow!  It'll make ya feel better!"

"Wait, hold on just a second!"  Hinata launched himself out of his seat and grabbed Hanamura by the back of his shirt collar before he could bury his face in her assets.  "Don't just offer yourself to him like that, Owari!"

"Like what?"  The brunette looked at Hinata as if what he was saying had no basis in logic.  "It's no big deal.  The kids in class do it all the time!"

Hinata stared at her blankly.  What the hell kind of third-graders was she _teaching_?!

"Ooh, so Hinata's been set free, has he?" a voice cooed from behind Hinata, and he released his grip on Hanamura in surprise as an arm snaked its way around his shoulders.  He turned his head far enough to see Ruruka Andoh smiling cheekily just inches from his own face, her other hand holding one of the sweet, brightly-colored cocktails she always insisted on special ordering.  "Does that mean I have a chance now?  Surely you won't turn down a young woman in need of protection, Mr. Policeman..."

"Ah..."  Hinata carefully extricated himself from her grip, smiling politely.  "No one has set me free, Andoh, so just like I always tell you..."

"Yeah, leave him the fuck alone."  Kuzuryu suddenly jerked Hinata back towards their table, glowering darkly at the confectioner.  "Just get the hint already, will you?"

There was a warm sensation blossoming in Hinata's chest at Kuzuryu's reaction, and he couldn't manage anything more than just gaping helplessly as he was directed back to their table.

"Oh, riiiight."  Andoh regarded Kuzuryu with open disgust.  "Forgot that he has this little dung beetle hanging around him nowadays.  I almost didn't see you there."

"The fuck did you just call me you candy-apple bitch?!"

"Okay, okay, enough of that."  Hinata quickly stepped between the two of them—Kuzuryu and Andoh's rather ballistic first meeting had ended in a shouting match over candy, and he wasn't looking forward to a repeat performance.  "How about we all just calm down and get back to dinner, okay?"

Kuzuryu was obviously still seething in fury, but he did as he was told and sat back at the table, across from Hinata.  "Fuck," he muttered.  "Just stop with all the inane bullshit, will you..."

Hinata laughed.  "It can get a little crazy with these guys, I guess..."

Kuzuryu grunted.  "I don't want to have to put up with anything more than your dumb ass."

Hinata stared at him for a moment.

The yakuza glanced away, cheeks reddening.  "What?"

"Oh, uh, nothing!"  Hinata looked away in kind; he wasn't sure what to make of Kuzuryu's words, but it felt like there was a stuffy haze filling his chest, to the point that it was almost hard to breathe.  Suddenly he was all too aware of how secluded their corner table was, even though Hinata knew it wasn't actually any further away from the other tables than normal.

Oh, god, it wasn't going to be _nearly_ as easy to act like nothing had changed as he had thought.

"Guys like them are exactly what I hate about this town."

Those murmured words caught Hinata's interest, and he focused his gaze back on Kuzuryu.  That was the first time he had gotten any sort of elaboration on Kuzuryu's distaste for Kibougaoka; he wasn't sure if he was even meant to have heard those words in the first place.  "What do you mean?" he prompted, half-expecting Kuzuryu to brush him off.

He didn't, though.  He turned back to Hinata, gold eyes meeting his in a meaningful stare, then gestured at the other patrons in a sweeping motion.  "Just look at them.  They're just all so... _content_ with where they are, when there's much better out there.  Pisses me off."

Hinata furrowed his brows; he didn't completely follow.  "You're pissed because they're happy?"

"That's not fuckin' happiness," Kuzuryu spat.  "There are people out there who have it made, you know?  They aimed for what they wanted and they got it.  Then there are people who are in a shitty place in life, but they're still trying to make it better.  That's admirable, at least.  But this?"  He made a disgusted face when he caught sight of Andoh again, cozying up to one of the other men across the room, and looked away.  "I've talked with some of them, you know?  And it's nothing but unfounded complacency.  Couldn't get what they wanted, so now they're settling for less because it's what's easy and comfortable, and they're letting themselves be okay with that.  That's bullshit.  It's like a plague in this town and I can't stand it."

"Because they... aren't trying?"

"Put simply, yeah."  Kuzuryu leaned forward, pointing at Hinata.  "They're not trying, and they've got no _drive_ to try."

Hinata traced the rim of his beer glass thoughtfully.  "But, I mean... technically speaking, I'm not trying, either."

"And that's bullshit!"  Kuzuryu slammed a hand against the table.  "You say you want to be a detective, so why aren't you trying to go for it?  Isn't there some exam you could apply for or some shit?"

"Uh, an exam?"  Hinata was taken aback for a moment.  "There's a selection exam to get started on the detective track, sure.  But it's not as easy as just applying for it.  You need a recommendation from the chief of police first, and I mean... I guess it just sorta feels like there are other, more hardworking people who are more deserving of it than me..."

"Sounds like a shitty excuse to sit on your laurels and do nothing."

"I, well..."  Hinata paused to consider those words.  Was there some truth in what Kuzuryu was saying?  If he were being perfectly honest with himself... well, being a detective _wasn't_ what Hinata really wanted, but the other option was already off the table...

"Okay, look."  Kuzuryu leaned an arm against the table, leveling Hinata with a stare so intense he couldn't look away.  "What the fuck are you doing just letting your life pass you by?  I can see you've still got the fight in you somewhere!  You haven't totally given up like the rest of these dumbasses."  He jerked his head in the direction of the rest of the dining room, but he never once broke eye contact with Hinata.  "And if you're so lackadaisical about becoming a detective, why aren't you going out there and applying yourself to something else?!"

A strange mix of fire and ice crept through Hinata's veins as he processed those words, a chill prickling at his neck and jawline like a sensual caress of horror, while the warmth settled comfortably in his chest.  He opened his mouth to speak, but he had no idea what he wanted to say.

What _could_ he say?

How could Kuzuryu read him so thoroughly, and say exactly the right things to set his feelings in motion?

He gulped, clenching his fists, and managed to choke out a few words.  "Kuzuryu, I..."

"You know what, forget it."  Kuzuryu glanced away suddenly, his cheeks dusted rose.  "Stop looking at me like that, you're white as a sheet.  Sorry."

"Oh, no, it's..."  Hinata took a deep breath, secretly relieved that Kuzuryu had dropped the subject.  "It's fine.  It's just... hard."

"Tell me about it."

They fell into silence then, just as their dinner was delivered to their table, marking the end of the conversation.

Hinata wasn't sure what Kuzuryu's last murmur of agreement had meant, but he didn't think he'd get an answer if he asked.

* * *

When Hinata returned to his dorm that night, he laid down on his bed to try thinking things over again, taking into consideration the new insights he had gleaned from their dinner together.

It had been all of a day since he had decided that he was, for the moment, content with keeping his relationship with Kuzuryu as it was.  That the attraction he felt for Kuzuryu didn't seem to be significant enough to justify bringing it any further.

What a load of shit _that_ was.  He squirmed a bit, feeling out of sorts, but between the haze in his chest and the sudden, pervasive sense that Kuzuryu belonged in his arms, he just couldn't get comfortable.

The fact of the matter was that he wasn't entirely sure if what he was feeling for Kuzuryu could be categorized as love, or if it was purely physical.  The idea of jumping into a relationship with such a weak basis... well, it didn't really sit well with Hinata.

How was he supposed to be able to tell if he was falling in love or not, anyway?  Hinata wasn't sure if he had ever actually been in love before.  There was the love he felt for his mother, of course, but he was fairly certain that it wasn't quite oedipal enough to be relevant.

So with no basis for comparison, how was he supposed to know?

Groaning, Hinata rolled over on the bed and grasped for his cell phone sitting on the bedside desk.  Maybe he should try to ask someone for advice.  He scrolled through his contacts list, wondering who would be the best candidate.

Kirigiri was out; she had an uncanny talent for reading people, but she was proverbially married to her work, so Hinata couldn't see her having the experience or interest in applying those observational skills to his situation.  Besides, he knew she would immediately be able to tell who the object of his affections (?) was, and it was completely foolish to expect that she'd buy the typical "I'm asking for a friend" excuse. (Some part of his mind, though, insisted that she already knew _and_ had all the answers, which was kind of mortifying in itself.)

Naegi, Hinata knew, would do his hardest to help out if asked, but he seemed similarly inexperienced, without Kirigiri's degree of insight, and Hinata couldn't bring himself to ask the kid of the impossible.

Besides that... Hinata frowned as he reviewed his options.  Overall, the only people on his contact list whom he could imagine having a genuine interest in discussing his relationship prospects were Hanamura and Souda.

Both seemed like _remarkably_ bad choices.

He scrolled through the contact list one more time, and for one brief, crazy moment considered asking Andoh; she had had (still had?) a long-term boyfriend, after all.  But Hinata quickly reminded himself he was looking for _healthy_ relationship advice, so he disregarded that idea completely.  Finally, he scrolled to the one remaining name on the list that he could see being helpful to his plight.

It was the one person whose relationship experience he knew of first-hand, after all.

_> Remind me why we first started going out again?_

He quickly composed the text message and sent it off before he could change his mind.  He wasn't entirely sure if this was a matter he should be discussing with an ex-girlfriend, but she was still his best friend, and he honestly couldn't think of any better option.  He had no idea how long he'd have to wait for an answer, though.  She was perpetually overworked in her job, and even when he knew she was right at her phone with time to spare, she usually took a while to answer.

The response came much quicker than he expected, though, after less than a minute.

_> Why do you ask?_

He frowned at the screen.  He really didn't feel like trying to explain to her when he couldn't even completely understand it himself.   _Just answer the question,_ he tapped out.

And there was her characteristic delay.  After two minutes, he knew it would take a while, so he busied himself by opening up his texting history with Kuzuryu, scrolling through the backlog in hopes that it would help clarify his feelings.

It didn't, really.  If anything, it only made the stuffiness in his chest grow denser, and he was just about to give up and turn in for the night when he got the notification that she had replied.

_> It was the same reason that we ultimately broke up?  It's just what made sense at the time, I think._

He tapped the edge of his phone against his forehead thoughtfully.  Because it made sense... But in this situation, he didn't know _what_ made sense.

To his surprise, a second text arrived from her almost immediately.

_> Are you asking because you want to get back together, or is it because you're in love with someone else?_

_Love..._ Hinata felt his cheeks go warm, and he tapped out a response.

_> It's not the former.  Sorry.  It might be the latter?_

He stared at the message for a few moments after sending it and decided it needed a little more elaboration.

_> There's someone I've been hanging out with a lot recently, and I find them pretty attractive, and I'm starting to think that maybe I want our friendship to become something more?  But at the same time I think I'm fine with where we are on an emotional level.  I guess I just don't want to risk messing things up by misidentifying my feelings and then having to go back on them later._

He dropped his phone on the mattress by his pillow and flexed his cramping thumbs.  It would probably take her even longer to respond to that influx of information, so he stood up and headed to the bathroom to prepare for bed.  By the time he was washed up and returned to climb under the covers, the notification light on his phone was blinking.  He curled up under the blankets and unlocked the phone, the screen illuminating the cavern of sheets.

_> Thought so.  Well, you know I'm not good with this sort of stuff, but I guess the reason we didn't work out is because we mostly acted the same and did the same things as "just friends" even when we were "going out," I think.  So you should probably consider the key factor here to be whether you really want there to be a change in your relationship, or else it'll fail just like we did._

Before Hinata could even begin to process her words, another message popped up underneath it.

_> But considering that you're already thinking and worrying so much about the possible effect on your current relationship, that indicates that you do really care for this person more than you realize, I think._

Hinata felt like his thoughts were swirling at a hundred miles an hour.  Was that what it meant after all?  Was it really that easy to identify?  It felt too good to be true.  He knew better than to take his ex-girlfriend's indecisive phrasing at face value, so did that mean she could actually tell for sure?  Was it obvious enough to tell from a short text message conversation?

Hinata buried his face into his pillow.  This was too much to think about this late at night.  He'd just go to sleep and think about again it in the morning, when his mind was fresh.

With that decision made, he relaxed into his bedding and began to drift off to sleep.  Just as he was about to fall asleep completely, though, his phone vibrated one last time.

Reluctantly, he fumbled for the phone and unlocked it with clumsy fingers, squinting at the display to see that she had sent yet another message.

_> You say you're fine with staying the way you two are now, but is that really what you want, or are you just settling for what's comfortable and easy?_

Hinata blinked at the words as some of the haze suddenly started to clear.

_"What the fuck are you doing just letting your life pass you by?  I can see you've still got the fight in you somewhere!"_

_"Why aren't you going out there and applying yourself to something else?!"_

He realized then just how much those words had meant to him, just how much they warmed his heart.

With trembling fingers he switched back over to Kuzuryu's texts and scrolled through the entire log, his eyes saccading rapidly through the messages as he drank in every insignificant conversation they had shared.

Every word, every glance, every fleeting touch they had ever exchanged... suddenly they all meant so much to Hinata as he thought back to them all.  The haze in his chest transformed into a soft warmth, traveling to the tips of his fingers and up his spine, settling in his cheeks and prickling at his eyes, nearly bringing him to tears.  If he was completely honest with himself...

If he was truly, absolutely, brutally honest with himself...

He was thoroughly, undeniably, irrevocably in love with Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu.

He had probably been falling from the very start.

Hinata reached the top of the text log then, the casual greetings from when they had first exchanged contact information.  That was the day when Kuzuryu had first shown up at the koban, and they had chatted while Hinata made his rounds in the neighborhood.

_"I didn't mean that in a gay way or anything, all right?"_

Hinata smiled bitterly as he buried his face into the pillow again.  He remembered feeling relieved at the time that he wasn't the target of a yakuza's affections.  Now he found himself wishing for the opposite.

Funny how things could change so drastically like that.

What about Kuzuryu, then?  Had his feelings changed at all?  Hinata thought back to earlier that night at Kagayaki—the way Kuzuryu had been so visibly irritated by Hanamura and Andoh's advances, how he had said that he was only there for Hinata... Did any of that mean anything, or was it just wishful thinking?

Well, he'd just have to ask, wouldn't he?

The risk of rejection was still there, and still just as dangerous, but with the realization of just how deep his emotions ran, he couldn't in good conscience keep it all hidden.  He had told himself he would face his feelings regardless of what they were, hadn't he?  This wasn't a story, and he had no one to entertain through his turmoil.  Letting it fester would only be hurting himself.

With that thought in his mind, and his chest feeling warm and full, Hinata pulled the blankets snugly around him to fall into slumber, but not before taking up his phone again and typing out one last message to his ex-girlfriend.

_> Thanks.  I'm going to give it a try._


	9. Chapter 9

It's funny, Hinata mused the next day, how quickly love can grow once you realize it's there.

He had dreamt about Kuzuryu overnight.  It hadn't been anything lewd—far from it, really.  It had just been the two of them simply sitting side-by-side in comfortable silence, their elbows just barely brushing together, feeling each other's body heat from the minuscule contact.  Hinata had no idea exactly where they had been sitting, but their surroundings hadn't really mattered with Kuzuryu by his side.  And when Kuzuryu had shifted closer just slightly, and then leant his head against Hinata's shoulder, nothing had ever felt more perfect.

When Hinata woke up, he had to nearly fight to breathe through the flood of feelings boiling within his chest.  He groaned and curled up in his blankets, wanting to return to the warmth of the dream but feeling incredibly embarrassed by it at the same time.  It had been the very picture of chaste, but somehow more intimate than even the most sensual of scenarios.

It wasn't even five AM, giving him at least another hour that he could sleep, but his heart was beating too fast, his veins thrumming with too much vitality to slip back into slumber, despite staying up past midnight while texting the night before.

Speaking of which... He reached out of his bundle of blankets and found his phone by the pillow.  A glance at the screen told him that his ex-girlfriend had sent him a message wishing him luck overnight.  He stared at the animated "fight!" emoticon appended to the end of her message and felt a grin beginning to spread across his face.

He was actually going to do this.

Of the two factors that had kept him from pursuing a romantic relationship with Kuzuryu, one had been cleared up completely: what he felt for Kuzuryu wasn't just lust, but love.  At this point, there wasn't even any question; he couldn't even imagine not having Kuzuryu in his life.  In the face of such a truth, Hinata couldn't really bring himself to be put off by the fact that Kuzuryu was with the yakuza.  It would be a bit of a problem, but if it was meant to work out, he'd make sure it happened.

The other factor, the risk of rejection... wasn't eliminated completely, and there wasn't really any way of knowing beforehand one way or another if it were.  But at the very least, Kuzuryu had displayed _some_ degree of fondness for Hinata over others.  That had to count for something, right?

Either way, Hinata no longer had much reason to hold out on confessing.  His grin grew to nearly giddy proportions as the full force of his convictions fell upon him.

He was going to confess to Kuzuryu within the day.  If he was going to ask him out at all, there was no reason to put it off.

With that thought in mind, Hinata slipped out of bed and began to get ready for the day.

* * *

As the day wore on, Hinata increasingly felt like he was on pins and needles.  It wasn't due to a loss of confidence, exactly, but more a restlessness born of having no proper outlet for all the thoughts and emotions swirling through his mind.

What was he going to say?  How would he say it?

What was _Kuzuryu_ going to say?

He couldn't sit still, the adrenaline pulsing through his veins so thoroughly and consistently.

"Hinata-kun, I appreciate your energy," Kirigiri said, barely looking up from her paperwork, "but you're letting in a draft when you keep walking in and out like that."

"Ah, right," Hinata said, carefully closing the door behind him to block off the cold air as he stepped back inside.  "I'll be careful."

After pacing the floor one time over, though, he stepped back outside to walk the length of the building once again.

He didn't know if he could handle keeping in all the emotions that were threatening to spill out at any moment.  He glanced down at his cell phone, open to his conversation with Kuzuryu.  He had said he was being held up at home with his father but would be able to make it to Kibougaoka for dinner that night.

How could he manage to hold out until evening?  Hinata was at the point that if Kuzuryu suddenly escaped from his father and popped up at the koban anyway, he would probably just blurt out all his feelings on the spot, onlookers be damned.

Though that probably wouldn't work out well, so perhaps it was for the best that Kuzuryu had other engagements.

He had half a mind to just confess over text message, but that seemed like an equally bad idea.  This was something he was meant to do face-to-face, right?

Not that he had much experience on that front, but he was pretty sure that was how it was supposed to be done.  Back in high school he had asked out his ex-girlfriend in person, too.

Unable to stand fretting by himself any longer, he switched over to the text conversation with that very ex-girlfriend and typed out a panicked request.

_> How do I confess?!?!?!_

The reply came quickly, and contained a link to an archived 2ch thread discussing the best confession scenes from dating sims.

Hinata groaned.   _Goddammit, that doesn't help!_

Huffing, he shoved the phone back in his pocket, then paced the length of the building one more time before walking back inside.

The gust of air threatened to scatter Kirigiri's paperwork, and she pressed a gloved hand atop them, meeting Hinata with a weary stare.  "What is going on with you, Hinata-kun?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, offering up no further explanation.  Sighing, he slumped into the visitor's chair.  "What time is it?"

"It's 10:43.  It's only been about a minute since you checked your phone outside."

He took his cap off, ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed.  "Goddamn..."

"Hinata-kun."  Kirigiri pointedly set her pen down and looked directly at him.  "Tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on."

"Surely you can think of a better lie than that."

"It's not a lie."  And it wasn't, not really.  Hinata was restless precisely _because_ there wasn't anything going on, because he didn't have the power to _make_ anything go on, because he had to wait until the evening before taking any sort of action.  "I'm just... nervous?  I guess?"  He wasn't sure if that was the right word, but his nerves _were_ on edge, at least.

"Well that much is clear," Kirigiri agreed.  "But I was hoping for an explanation that would offer a bit more clarity than that.  With the state you're in right now, I'm not sure I can leave you to do deskwork, but I'm not confident that you can patrol the area without walking into telephone poles, either."

Hinata laughed hollowly.  "Oh come on, I'm not that bad off, am I?"

"Should I answer that honestly?"

He looked at her, prepared to continue in a joking manner, but Kirigiri's eyes were dead serious.  His face fell and he looked away.  "I... sorry."

"I'm not looking for an apology," Kirigiri said, returning to her paperwork.  "I just want to be able to trust that you can do your job today."

"I can."

"Hmm."  She made a noncommittal noise as she picked up a form, studying it carefully.  "Will Kuzuryu-kun be coming by today?"

"Kuzu— what?"  Hinata was taken aback, his thoughts immediately spiraling off into different directions.  "Uh, no.  Not today.  Why do you ask?"

She cocked an eyebrow curiously, peering at him from over the edge of the paper, but otherwise didn't question the odd reaction.  "Why _did_ I ask, I wonder?"  She set the paper down and looked as if she were about to say something, but apparently thought better of it and changed her line of questioning.  "But I suppose this is a good opportunity.  I never asked about what happened over the weekend."

Hinata froze, electricity spiking through his veins.  "Nothing happened over the weekend."

"You waited out a typhoon at the Kuzuryu household.  I wouldn't say that's nothing."

"Oh.  Oh, that."  Right, there was no reason why Kirigiri would know about what _specifically_ happened during his visit.  "Yeah, I... yeah."

Kirigiri leveled him with an unimpressed stare.  "Excellent addition to the conversation, Hinata-kun."

He sighed heavily.  "Well, what do you want to know?  I don't think there's much I can tell you.  I was kept out of the loop when it came to family business, of course."

Kirigiri looked at him thoughtfully.  "Do you have a location?"

"They blindfolded me before driving me there and back.  Couldn't see what route we took."

She raised an eyebrow again.  "Blindfolded?  And you didn't consider that you might be in real danger?"

Hinata grimaced.  "I'd say it definitely crossed my mind."

Kirigiri chuckled, returning her gaze to the paperwork.  "Fair enough."

Hinata tilted his head to the side, considering.  "It was in the mountains somewhere, though.  Might have been hard to find me if they _did_ off me there."

"Rest assured I wouldn't stop until your body was retrieved, Hinata-kun."

"Gee, thanks."

She gave an airy laugh, a gloved hand covering her mouth.  "So, have you calmed down a bit now?"

Hinata blinked, then turned to face her.  Now that she mentioned it, he _was_ feeling less on-edge.  "Sempai?"

She gave a sly smile.  "There's nothing as sobering as acknowledging the fragility of your personal safety in this line of work.  Unfortunately, there really isn't much to act as a distraction in Kibougaoka."

Hinata answered her smile with a wry one of his own.  "That was your idea of how to calm me down?  Really?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?"  She flipped to the next page of paperwork before continuing.  "I have to say, it's interesting that you're willing to share what information you have despite your cordial relationship with Kuzuryu-kun.  Is that a trend that I can expect to continue?"

He had to pause for a moment to consider that.  Pursuing a deeper relationship with Kuzuryu would cause a major conflict of interest; he knew that well.  He hadn't thought much about telling Kirigiri what he knew, since all he knew was that he knew nothing, but if Kuzuryu ever told him something damning in confidence, he couldn't honestly say that he'd betray that trust.  But while the professional risk was one he was willing to take for himself, letting Kirigiri know of those reservations on his part would extend that risk to _her_.  "What do you want to hear as the answer?" he said slowly.

Kirigiri was silent a moment.  "As always, be a cop for as long as you carry that badge," she said.  "But more than that, don't get yourself killed for being a traitor."

Hinata chuckled.  "I think I can promise that."

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon, Hinata managed to function more or less as normal.  Every once in a while he would stop in the middle of his work as he suddenly remembered his plans for the evening, his heart doing a little flutter in his chest at the thought, but each time he was able to push it to the side and focus on his job.  Kirigiri hadn't pressed him on anything else either, to his relief, though she had stopped him briefly just as he left for the evening to study him silently.

He tried not to squirm under her gaze.  "Is something the matter?" he asked.

After a moment longer, she shook her head and turned away.  "No, you seem to be fine.  Have a good night, Hinata-kun."

Thoroughly confused, but deciding not to think too hard about it, Hinata stepped out of the koban.  The crisp November air hit him headlong, together with the sudden reemergence of the restlessness that had plagued him earlier.

Oh god, he was going to _confess_.

He felt the urge to start pacing along the building again, but that wasn't going to do any good at this point.  He actually had someplace to go, something to do this time, and staying back was entirely counterproductive.

The walk to Kagayaki was quick and uneventful, so preoccupied as he was with other thoughts, and a quick glance into the restaurant revealed that Kuzuryu hadn't arrived yet.  He paused at the door, considering if he should go inside to wait, but for some reason he felt more inclined to wait outside.

Maybe because it would let him see Kuzuryu that many seconds sooner.

Hinata took a deep breath, hoping it would cool his head somewhat.  How had he only just realized what he felt the night before?  He was embarrassed by his own lovesick pining.

He rubbed his hands on his cheeks, hoping they weren't turning more red than could be explained away with the cold.  Just as he was trying to figure out what he would say and when—oh god, he had forgotten to decide _how_ to confess—he caught sight of Kuzuryu approaching and his stomach did a little flip.

As the distance closed between them, Kuzuryu looked up at Hinata him strangely.  "The hell are you doing with your hands?"

"Huh?  Uh."  Hinata quickly took his hands off of his face, letting them drop to his side.  "Nothing.  Just trying to warm up my face a bit."

"You could have just waited inside, then."  Kuzuryu arched an eyebrow.  "What's the point of being out here?"

Hinata didn't really have a good answer for that.  He had just wanted to see Kuzuryu again as soon as possible, had considered asking Kuzuryu out as soon as they met up, before even going inside... but maybe that wasn't the best tactic.  If it went poorly, it would just make the dinner awkward at best.  "Just... felt like some fresh air is all."

Kuzuryu stared at him a moment longer, but ultimately just shrugged.  "Whatever.  Let's just get inside, it's fucking freezing out."

They entered the restaurant together, and Hinata tried to wave to people as they greeted him, but his attention was largely monopolized by the yakuza heir at his side.

He was going to confess.  As soon as the time seemed right, as soon as he could navigate the conversation in that direction, he was going to ask Kuzuryu to go out with him.

He felt like his heart was pounding in his throat.

They sat down and almost immediately Kuzuryu sighed, lowering himself to lean his head against his arms on the table.

"You okay?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Kuzuryu said dismissively.  "Just my dad being a huge asshole like usual."

"Ah..."  Hinata made an understanding sort of noise, though he didn't completely understand the situation, of course.  He considered reaching out to pat Kuzuryu's arm supportively, and perhaps he would have before then, but with the added insight of his feelings he couldn't help but second-guess the action.  Ultimately he retracted his arm and made a show of considering the menu even though he knew it nearly by heart.  "Let's get you something to eat, then..."

After briefly discussing their options, they placed their orders and waited in silence for their food to be ready.

Hinata tapped his finger against the tabletop anxiously.  What was he supposed to say?

The silence continued as they ate, while Hinata mulled over how to proceed with the conversation.  If he was going to ask Kuzuryu out, should he do that in the restaurant, after they finished their meal?  Or should he wait until they were outside afterward, where there wouldn't be the possibility of the other restaurant patrons overhearing?

"You're awfully quiet."

Hinata looked up in surprise, and his eyes met Kuzuryu's, breath catching at the sight of how gold they were.  "Who, me?"

"Who the fuck else would I be talking to?"

Hinata laughed bashfully.  "Yeah, you're right, uh..."  He returned his gaze to his plate, poking at his pork cutlet with his chopsticks absently.

"And don't do that with your chopsticks.  'S rude."

He laughed without restraint then.  God, Kuzuryu was so weirdly prim sometimes, it was... well, _adorable_.  "Right, my bad."

Silence fell between them again, but it was a relaxed silence, and not one that either felt needed to be broken.  But, as Hinata had to remind himself, he wouldn't be able to go through with his confession if all they did was sit quietly together, however comfortable it may be.

If he wanted things to change, he couldn't get complacent.  He had to take action.

"Your dad seems to be giving you a hard time a lot," Hinata said, deciding on small talk as the best way to lead up to where he was going.  He wasn't entirely sure of the specific route it would take, but it was a start.

Kuzuryu gave a noncommittal grunt.  "Yeah, pretty much.  Can't really blame him, but it's still a pain in the ass."

"What's he getting on you about?"  Kuzuryu looked at him sharply, and he immediately tried to backtrack.  "No, I mean... Sorry, I wouldn't expect you to—"

"No, it's fine," Kuzuryu sighed, leaning his elbows against the table.  He continued in at a low volume so that only they two could hear, his voice dipping into a deeper timbre that had Hinata's breath catching and his stomach twisting.  "Basically he's getting on my case about not recruiting enough new members to the clan.  I think his techniques are crap, though."

Hinata sat back, thinking.  "Aside from family connections, don't the yakuza generally target juvenile delinquents to take under their wing?"  He thought back to what he knew of yakuza recruitment methods: hanging around troubled kids on the streets, giving them the support and attention that they so often crave, and eventually building trust to the point that they'd be formally welcomed into the family.  He made a face at the thought.  "Not that I condone it at all, though."

"See, that's the thing!  I don't either!"  Kuzuryu slammed a hand on the table, his eyes burning with passion.  Despite his fervor, he still kept his voice low.  "I mean, we're supposed to be keeping the civilians out of our shit, right?  So what's the fucking point if we're corrupting impressionable youth just to grow our numbers?  It's goddamn hypocritical, that's what it is.  Give them the chance to sort out their problems when they're still kids, fuck."

Hinata considered that point of view.  "That's... pretty admirable of you."  He took a moment to gather himself; god, _every little thing_ that he learned of Kuzuryu had him falling even harder.  "So you disagree with your dad on recruitment methods, basically?"

"That about covers it," Kuzuryu muttered.  "Recruiting kids definitely has its advantages, though.  Easier to teach them to fight and keep them motivated.  But honestly, it sits better with me to recruit people who are already adults.  Old enough to have gotten jaded with the world and make an informed decision to fight in the shadows, you know?"

"Hmm..."  Hinata thought that over carefully.  It definitely made a certain kind of sense, and it seemed more honorable than corrupting kids on the streets.  There weren't many kids in this area of Kibougaoka anyway, if that's where Kuzuryu was going to recruit.  Most of the residents were twenty-somethings like himself—

Hinata froze.  In his brain he thought he heard a sort of click, as if a puzzle piece was finally fitting into place.

"Kuzuryu," he said, trying to keep his voice level, but he had turned to stare resolutely at the wall, not meeting the yakuza's gaze.  "Your strategy is to get on good terms with the adults you want to recruit, then?"

"Pretty much."

Hinata was pretty certain he didn't like what he was hearing, but he couldn't stop himself from pushing further.  "And, ideally, you'd be recruiting adults that already know how to fight?"

Kuzuryu hummed thoughtfully.  "Generally, yeah, that would be the best kind of candidate."

Hinata's hand balled into a fist against the table as he thought back on his experiences with Kuzuryu over the past month.  All the strange little things that suddenly had the context needed to make sense.

That look of approval when he heard that Hinata had punched his dorm advisor.

Thinking back on it, it had been very reminiscent of the strange expression Kuzuryu made when Hinata had nearly put him in a shoulder throw.

And that same day, when he and Kuzuryu had discussed justice and morality.  Kuzuryu had caught on to Hinata's disdain towards the very police force he worked for.

Then the night before _that_ , when Kuzuryu had summoned him to the private room at Kagayaki, and offered him a wad of cash.

Had Kuzuryu ever told him what else he had planned to discuss that night?

What would have happened if Hinata had _accepted_ that cash?

Hinata's stomach felt as if it were churning in on itself, and not in the sickly pleasant way that it had over his deepening feelings for Kuzuryu.

Just the evening before, Kuzuryu had encouraged Hinata to pursue something else instead of remaining as a cop.  He had voiced similar sentiments before, saying that Hinata was wasting his life stuck in a dead-end town.

Had he not actually been saying that for Hinata's sake?  Was Kuzuryu only looking to benefit himself?

He had felt such warmth, such affection for Kuzuryu in response to those words, but had he completely misread their intent?

Apparently Hinata had stayed quiet for too long, because there was sudden movement from the other side of the table, and when Hinata finally looked back at Kuzuryu, the blond was sitting up straight, staring at Hinata in horror.  "Wait.  Hinata..."

And that was the confirmation.  The expression Kuzuryu wore spoke volumes, and in that moment Hinata knew that he had arrived at the ugly truth.

He let his gaze harden, and when he spoke next his tone was calm, contrary to the whirlwind of confusion inside his head.  "So that's what I am to you, then."

"Hinata, no—"

"Is that what—"  Hinata's voice cracked, and he gave a humorless laugh, shaking his head.  "This past month, that's all this has been about?"

"Stop, Hinata, I wasn't—"

"I'm leaving."  Hinata stood up from the table, leaving his half-eaten dinner where it sat.  He suddenly didn't have any appetite at all, and he couldn't bear to look the blond in the face any longer.  "Good night, Kuzuryu."

He quickly fished a few bills out of his wallet to cover his meal, then grabbed his jacket and left the restaurant as quickly as he could, ignoring Kuzuryu calling for him to come back.

The pounding of his feet against the street as he ran towards the train station reverberated through his whole body, but he kept moving, ignoring the sting of the cold air in his lungs.  His head was in pain, his feet were in pain, and his chest was in pain to an extent that he had never before known.  He stopped briefly only when his phone vibrated in his pocket and, after a moment's hesitation, he pulled it out to check the incoming text.

He wasn't sure if he was hoping it would be Kuzuryu, or hoping that it wasn't.

_> Did you confess?  How did it go?_

It was his ex-girlfriend.  He stared at the message blankly, unsure of how to respond.

How does one go about explaining that the relationship hadn't been more than an attempted recruitment into the criminal underground?

Grimacing, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and continued his trek to the station.

If he hadn't been sure of his feelings for Kuzuryu before, then the sheer pain of his heartache now would have made it obvious.

And that was probably what hurt more than anything else.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, after a short bout of a loss of confidence, I'm back with this chapter about two weeks late! Sorry I slipped in my schedule, but I hope you enjoy!

It was both a curse and a blessing that Hinata worked through that entire weekend.  It gave him something to keep his mind off of the issue with Kuzuryu, which was good, if somewhat ineffective; the typical quietness of Kibougaoka granted him far too much down time, and not enough dusty old case files to organize for distraction.  On the other hand, working both weekend shifts kept him in a stationary spot the entire time.  If Kuzuryu had chosen to seek out Hinata for whatever reason, he would have had an incredibly easy time of it.

It wasn't that Hinata had come to _hate_ Kuzuryu, of course; honestly, it would have been so much easier if he had.  But he was hurt.  He felt like he had been played with.  He still categorized his feelings for Kuzuryu as "love," but even so, he couldn't stand the idea of facing him again while the pain was so raw.

But he didn't have to.  Kuzuryu didn't so much as send a text message, let alone drop by the koban.

As anxious as Hinata was about the idea of confronting Kuzuryu again, the radio silence was even worse.

Making sense of his own feelings wasn't the problem; it took him a couple days to work through the pain, sure, but by the end of Saturday he had done enough introspective analysis to at least have an idea of where he stood.  Did it really make that much of a difference to Hinata if Kuzuryu were trying to bring him into the clan?  He determined that it didn't really, at least not on the surface.  He had known all along that getting involved with the yakuza was risky, and Hinata had fallen for him anyway.

The question was with Kuzuryu.  Had he thought nothing of Hinata besides a potential recruit?  If that were the case, it threw a wrench into his decision to confess.  It meant that Hinata had completely misread whatever interest Kuzuryu had in him, and the fact that the yakuza heir wasn't reaching out to clarify the situation wasn't very reassuring.

Hinata wanted to think that he was making incorrect assumptions and Kuzuryu had never been considering recruiting him in the first place.  That night he had called him out could have simply been to express gratitude as he had claimed, and tracking him down the next day could have genuinely just been about repaying the tab.  Maybe all the times they had hung out really _had_ just been that.  Maybe the panic in Kuzuryu's expression when Hinata thought he pieced the puzzle together was realization that Hinata was making a grave mistake.

But it all just made too much sense if the underlying motive of coercing Hinata into the clan was added into the equation.  Maybe it wasn't all that it was about—Hinata hoped it wasn't—but discounting the possibility completely seemed too foolhardy to consider.

Hinata really wished that he had someone to talk to about the issue, but of his friends, Kirigiri was the only one who actually knew about Kuzuryu's involvement with the yakuza.  He actually seriously considered confiding in her on Sunday, and got as far as pulling out his cell phone to call her over.  She was technically on-call in case he needed backup, and knowing her, she was probably spending her "day off" helping the Kitazawa station anyway.

But "wanting romantic advice" seemed like a spectacularly bad reason for requesting backup.

He put his phone back away and sighed, laying his head down on the desk in front of him.  There was no reason to get her involved in the Kuzuryu clan stuff, anyway.  At this point, it would only endanger her already-volatile position to be made aware of exactly how deep her subordinate's involvement with the yakuza could become.  That wouldn't be fair to her.

...But, no, it wasn't fair to keep her in the dark either, was it?  His stomach churned with guilt as he thought of all the times he had kept quiet about what he knew about Kuzuryu, leaving her to figure everything out for herself.  He had known that he should be more forthright with her, but he hadn't.  He trusted Kirigiri, but he had spent a month taking that trust for granted and keeping secrets.  He had kept so much from her about Kuzuryu from the very start, even when he knew that it was to his detriment.

It just... didn't feel right to still keep Kirigiri out of the loop.  He wanted to give her _some_ insight into what was going on, and perhaps she could offer some advice in return.  But he had to do it in a way that would allow her an out, a way to waive her of liability if anyone ever questioned her integrity as an officer of the law.

So that Monday, he waited for Kirigiri to come back from her lunch break.  She returned at about half past two, and he let his gaze follow her as she walked across the office towards the back.  He couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant, wondering if it was really the best time or place to broach the subject.  It would probably be better to flag her down after hours when they weren't at the koban... but that felt like he was looking for an excuse to procrastinate.  Wasn't that what he was trying to avoid?

Just before she disappeared into the back, he threw all caution to the wind and finally managed to get the words out.

"Wait, Sempai."

She paused, then turned to look back at him, steely gaze questioning.  "Yes?"

Hinata looked her up and down nervously, taking in her street clothes.  "You're still off-duty, right?"

Kirigiri arched an eyebrow.  "Yes... I was just about to get changed and come back, though."

"Can you put that on hold for a moment?  You still have a while before you're due back from break, anyway."

She didn't answer immediately, tapping a finger against her cheek in thought.  "Is there a reason you don't want me in uniform just yet?"

Hinata pulled his mouth into a thin line; she had cut to the true meaning behind his words immediately, didn't she?  Not that he had expected anything less from her.  "I want to talk to you about something in a... personal capacity, if that's all right."

She tilted her head slightly as she studied him, an odd look on her face.  They didn't often talk openly about personal issues, so Hinata supposed it made sense she'd have that reaction, but he wondered if there was more to her expression than just that.  "I take it that this is something that you want kept in confidence from the rest of the force."

"If you could, yeah."

"So you're removing that obligation by cornering me while I'm off-duty.  Interesting."  Kirigiri walked over and sat down in the visitor's chair, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.  "I must point out that _you_ are still on the clock, though."

Hinata gave a dry laugh and casually propped his elbows against the desk.  "I mean, this is stuff I already know about whether I'm on duty or not.  I figure it doesn't make much of a difference at this point."

"I suppose that's fair enough."  Kirigiri sat back in the chair, folding her arms across her chest.  "All right, then.  I assume this has to do with Kuzuryu-kun?"

Hinata fisted his hands against the surface of the desk.  "I guess that's pretty obvious, huh?"

"Well, yes," she replied, her tone level.  "You've been acting strangely lately, too.  Did something happen?"

Hinata hummed thoughtfully and let his gaze wander toward the koban entrance as he considered how to answer.  Yes, something had happened.  A lot of somethings had happened.  The most pressing one at the moment, though...  Well, from what he could see through the windows of the koban, there didn't seem to be anyone in the general area, so it was probably safe enough to ask directly.  "What do you think are the chances that Kuzuryu wants to get me to join his family's clan?"

"I'd say those chances are quite high."

"What?!"  Hinata's elbows slipped off the desk as he turned to look back at Kirigiri.  That confirmation was shocking enough, but the way that she had responded so quickly...!  "Since when have you known?   _How_ did you know?!"

"Hold on."  Kirigiri held up a gloved hand to silence him.  "I'll answer those questions in time, but first I have something to ask you.   _Are_ you considering joining the Kuzuryu Clan?"

"No," Hinata replied immediately.

"Are you sure?"

"It's never even crossed my mind."

"Hmm."  She tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully.  "Good.  That's reassuring for several reasons."

Hinata cocked an eyebrow.  "What other reason could there be besides me not turning into a criminal?"

She gave a small smile.  "Now, I can tell you how I knew," she said, clearly intent on setting her own pace for the discussion, "but first, I'd like to know how _you_ knew.  Why would you think that Kuzuryu-kun is trying to recruit you?"

"Why?  Well..."  Hinata thought back for the umpteenth time to the night those few days before, when he had finally pieced together what he had really wanted, only to figure out that it had all been a ruse, and grimaced.  "Simply put, I fit the profile of the kind of people he tries to recruit."

"I see.  Well, I wasn't involved in the conversations you've had with him, so I can't say whether you do fit that profile or not," Kirigiri said.  "However, I don't think it's completely accurate to say that that's the only reason he would want to recruit you."

Hinata stared at her, confused.  "What do you mean?"

"Let's put it a different way."  She tapped a finger against her cheek thoughtfully.  "Hinata-kun, you enjoy his company, correct?"

It went quite a bit deeper than that, but... "Yeah, of course I do."

"So for the sake of argument," Kirigiri began, "let's say that whatever friction is occurring between the two of you right now wasn't present, and your relationship were in the best possible state.  What would be the greatest hurdle remaining between the two of you?"

Hinata furrowed his brows.  "The greatest hurdle...?"

"The biggest reason why it's difficult for the two of you to interact as others your age would, in other words."

It took Hinata only a moment to realize what Kirigiri was driving at, though he wasn't sure where she was headed.  "That would be the fact that he's yakuza and I'm a cop," he answered.  He had been determined to not let that get in the way of how he truly felt, of course... but if his revelations had taught him anything, it was that he had vastly underestimated how disruptive that difference in social standing could be.

"Right."  Kirigiri paused, glanced at the koban entrance, and arched an eyebrow before turning back to Hinata.  "Honestly, it would be an issue even if you were just an ordinary citizen instead of a police officer.  Involvement with the yakuza is risky at best for anyone."

Hinata huffed out a short sigh, leaning against the desk.  "This is something I've been aware of the whole time, though."

Kirigiri hummed in thought, tilting her head to the side.  "Yes, but there seems to be an aspect of this dynamic that you're missing.  Hinata-kun, wouldn't you want to remove that hurdle between the two of you, if you could?"  She offered a wry grin.  "I certainly don't think it's feasible for him to leave the criminal underground, at least not without significant risk of harm, but if he _could_ , would you want him to?"

"Leave the criminal underground?"  Hinata blinked at her, shocked by the idea.

"It would remove the social barrier separating you two, wouldn't it?"

Hinata drew his brows together as he considered the idea.  He had never really thought about it—Kuzuryu had been born into the family, and it was clearly important to him, so even if leaving the yakuza were an easy task, he had never associated such a thing with Kuzuryu.  But hypothetically, if Kuzuryu _could_ leave the yakuza... not only would it be much easier for them to be together, it would also mean that Kuzuryu would be free from its dangers.  "Yes," he said finally, without a hint of uncertainty.  "If it were something he wanted, then of course I'd want it, too."

"That's what I thought."  Kirigiri gave a small smile with just a hint of triumph.  "So let's turn that thinking around.  If _Kuzuryu_ were to wish for that hurdle to be eliminated, how would he go about it?"

How?  Kuzuryu was a high-ranking member of a yakuza family.  If the two of them wanted to have similar social standing, and leaving the yakuza wasn't an option, that would only leave...

Hinata felt his face flare up.

"I see you've figured it out."

He tried to speak, but nothing came out, his mouth flapping uselessly.  "That's your reasoning?" he finally croaked out.

"Is it not logical?"  Kirigiri cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I—"  Hinata looked away, covering the lower half of his face with a hand.  Was that really all it was?  "But— when he first approached me..."

"I imagine it was simply with the intention to get you to join the family, yes."  Kirigiri peered at him meaningfully.  "But once he found out your occupation, shouldn't that have been enough to get him to back off?  Why would he then continue to associate with you?"

Hinata didn't know what to say.  It all made too much sense, when she put it that way.  After Kuzuryu had found out he was a cop— he had been angry.  Furious.  He had learned that a candidate for recruitment was a lost cause, and that should have been the end of it.  At worst, Hinata should have been eliminated, and at best he would have never been contacted again.

But Kuzuryu _had_ approached him.  The very next day.

He stared down at the surface of the desk, his vision swimming as his emotions whirled into a frenzy anew.  So Kuzuryu had wanted to spend time with Hinata, not because of anything to do with the clan, but just because he _enjoyed being with him_?

"However, you shouldn't be taking my word for it," Kirigiri said suddenly, cutting Hinata from his thoughts.  He looked up, and she jerked a thumb towards the koban door.  "You should speak to Kuzuryu-kun about this yourself."

Hinata stared blankly at her for a moment before understanding began to slowly dawn on him.  He looked to the door, eyes widening, and he felt the color drain from his face.  "Wait, then you mean..."

Sure enough, the door creaked open, and Kuzuryu stepped into view, looking rather flustered.  "Shit," he muttered.  "Um... well, hi, I guess."

Kirigiri gave a small, self-satisfied smile.  "I think we're done with our conversation.  I'll go get changed back into my uniform, then."  She stood from her seat and turned towards the back of the station before pausing.  "It's a bit early, but why don't you go make your afternoon rounds now, Hinata-kun?  Just give me a few minutes."

"What?  Uh..."  Hinata looked from Kuzuryu to Kirigiri, and then back again.  The yakuza flushed and looked away, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.  "Uh... sure.  I guess that's fine."

Kirigiri disappeared into the changing room, and suddenly the two men were alone in the office, an uncomfortable silence settling between them.  Hinata wasn't really sure what to do.  He found himself rising to his feet and walking slowly towards Kuzuryu, as if drawn by some sort of magnetism, but he stopped well outside Kuzuryu's personal bubble and shifted his weight between his feet awkwardly.

He had never really decided what he wanted to say to Kuzuryu when they met again, and he especially hadn't had time to fully contemplate Kirigiri's assessment of the situation.  It was somewhat comforting, though, that the yakuza seemed to be at just as much of a loss.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kirigiri returned, barely sparing them a glance as she took Hinata's previous spot at the desk.  "You may go now," she said, arching an eyebrow at the pile of decade-old files Hinata had been distracting himself with.

"Uh, right..."  Hinata glanced sidelong at Kuzuryu, who huffed and headed towards the door.  He followed after him, grabbing his overcoat and pulling it on in silence.

"But before you go..."

Hinata paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned back towards Kirigiri.

She leveled a serious stare at him.  "I expect you to turn in your badge before joining the yakuza."

Hinata tried to grin, but it felt like it was half a grimace.  "I'm pretty sure that at least one of those things isn't happening."

* * *

The awkward silence persisted for a while between them as they walked.  Hinata only dared a cursory glance at Kuzuryu once they were about a block away from the koban; the shorter man still looked flustered and was resolutely avoiding looking in his direction.  Even so, he remained in step at Hinata's side, his breath coming in puffs of mist.

Hinata faced forward again, wondering exactly what he was expected to do.  Kuzuryu had been the one to seek him out, so would that mean he had something to say?  Should Hinata wait for him to talk, or should he take the initiative and speak up first himself?

After walking two more blocks without a single word exchanged between them, Hinata decided it would be up to him to break the silence.  "So... how much of that did you hear, exactly?"

Kuzuryu shrugged, his face burying into the scarf wrapped about his neck.  "I heard... enough."

"Ah."  That was about as vague of a response as Hinata could imagine, but somehow he didn't feel the need to push for clarification.

They fell quiet for a few more moments, until Kuzuryu spoke up again.

"Hinata, look, I—"  He cut himself off and scratched his head, visibly frustrated.  "I mean, well.  If I were to say that I hadn't wanted to recruit you into the gang... well, that would be a lie."

Hinata couldn't help the way that his heart sank a bit upon hearing those words.  "Oh.  I see."  He had suspected as much, of course, but hearing it out loud just made it an undeniable truth.

Kuzuryu huffed out a heavy sigh.  "But that doesn't mean... shit, how do I explain it..."

Hinata stayed quiet and watched him out of the corner of his eye, patiently waiting for the yakuza to sort out his thoughts.

"Okay, so... guess I'll start from the beginning," Kuzuryu grumbled, staring down at the sidewalk.  "I didn't really remember you, you know?  When I woke up the day after we first met."  He laughed hollowly.  "I got _really_ trashed.  But even though I didn't really remember you that much, you still sort of left an impression on me."

Hinata frowned, his brows drawing together as he processed those words.  "Meaning... what?"

"Well, that's the thing."  Kuzuryu scratched the back of his head again, looking a little unsure.  "So much of my work nowadays is centered around... well, there's some all sorts of shit going on, but the simplest way to say it is that I've gotta strengthen the clan, and a big part of that is recruiting members loyal to me."

"And you thought I could be that."

"I mean, yeah, that's typically the reason someone catches my attention."  Kuzuryu gave a wry grin.  "But for all I knew, it could have been something else, like gratitude toward you for helping me.  So I talked it over with Peko and when she couldn't remember enough about you to give me a clear idea, I decided I had to call you out and size you up."

Hinata took a deep breath.  "And that's when you rented out the whole second floor of Kagayaki."

"Was probably a bit overkill in retrospect, but in case it turned to business, I had to be careful."  Kuzuryu waved the subject off dismissively.  "Whatever, anyway, it was obviously kind of a disaster, but meeting with you then was still enough to decide that I was right.  You'd make a fucking great addition to the clan."

 _That_ genuinely surprised Hinata.  "I— what?"  He stared down at the blond incredulously.  "I'd _what_?"

"You heard me."  Kuzuryu shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed.  "You're smart.  Too often we bring people in for their brawn, not for their brains.  But you've got that, too.  Just by seeing the way you hold yourself, it's obvious you can at least defend yourself."

Hinata grit his teeth, considering the words.  "And that's what makes me a suitable addition to the clan?"

"Just that wasn't enough to convince me a hundred percent," Kuzuryu clarified.  "But shit, you were promising enough that I was absolutely pissed to learn you were a fucking _cop_ of all things."

"That was pretty clear from your reaction."  Hinata tilted his head to the side, thinking.  "So it wasn't just the fact that you had flagged down law enforcement that had you so angry."

"Shit, I'm not scared of cops."

"Uh-huh."

Kuzuryu sighed.  "Fine, it was a little alarming, but nothing I couldn't have dealt with if I wanted to."

Hinata was silent for a moment.  "But knowing that wasn't enough to discourage you from pursuing me anyway."

Kuzuryu gave a wry laugh.  "It should have been, huh?  But when I came to talk to you the next day, just to make sure... just, shit.  You're not meant to be a cop, Hinata."

"That's not your decision to make."

"Sure, but I'm still speaking the truth."  Kuzuryu peered sidelong up at Hinata before continuing.  "So if you ever do decide to quit and join the clan instead, just let me know."

"Kuzuryu."  Hinata's tone was stern as he glared down at his feet.  "That's not going to happen."

"...Yeah, sorry.  I didn't mean..."

Hinata looked back up at Kuzuryu, somewhat surprised to be hearing an apology.

The yakuza's cheeks were growing red.  "Don't get the wrong idea, all right?  If you want to join, that's great, but that's not— I don't—"  He screwed his eyes closed and burrowed further into his scarf.  "That's not important anymore, all right?  I mean, it's _important_ , but what I'm saying is... you know?"

"Uh, no, I seriously don't have any idea what you're saying."  Hinata blinked at Kuzuryu in confusion.

Kuzuryu all but growled as he grabbed his head with both hands in exasperation.  "Fuck me, do I really have to spell it out, you dumbass?!  It's like... Kirigiri was right, okay?!"

"She was..."  Hinata trailed off as he made the connection and he felt his own cheeks warming up again.  "Oh.   _Oh._ "

"Yeah, _oh_.  Fucking shit."  The yakuza turned away, but Hinata could still see the way his ears grew pink at the tips.  It was... completely endearing, and Hinata felt his chest swell with a warmth that had been missing for the previous few days.

"So..."  Hinata cleared his throat awkwardly.  "So we're... I mean, you aren't trying to just..."

"Of course it's not just about the clan."  Kuzuryu turned to glower up at him, though the effect was lessened somewhat by the blush coloring his nose and cheeks.  "I just... like spending time with you.  I guess."

It felt like Hinata had been taken captive by that golden gaze trained on him, and he had to make a conscious effort to keep breathing.  "Well," he said, and the next words fell off his lips easily, as if it was the most natural progression of the conversation possible, "then will you go out with me, Kuzuryu?"

...Oh.  He hadn't even realized that was what he was going to say.  Hinata felt his heart clench in anticipation and he fought back the urge to panic or backpedal.

Kuzuryu's reaction, however, was to cock an eyebrow curiously.  "I'm out with you right now, aren't I?"

"I— what?  Wait, no, I—"  Hinata floundered a bit, thrown off by the lackluster response.  "Wait, I didn't mean, like..."

Slowly, as if a fog was lifting, Kuzuryu's eyes widened.  "Hold on, what?  Did you just—"

"I—!"  Hinata stepped in front of Kuzuryu, stopping the shorter man in his tracks.  "Kuzuryu, I—"  He wasn't thinking clearly, he _couldn't_ think. He struggled to form words and finally the best clarification he could manage was, "I— yeah, I was asking you— _that_."

There was a beat of silence between them.  Kuzuryu's eyes were wide as saucers, and Hinata felt increasingly like digging himself a hole and crawling into it.

That feeling only escalated when Kuzuryu began to laugh.

"Wh— sorry," Hinata muttered, his cheeks burning.  "I, well..."

"Seriously?  What in the world was _that_?!"

Hinata buried his face in his hands; he had thought he was prepared to accept whatever outcome, but he hadn't expected such utter _humiliation_.  "Sorry, can we just forget— just, we can pretend this never—"

"What the fuck were you thinking, asking me out like you were commenting on the weather?  How would I have thought _that's_ what you meant?"

Hinata furrowed his brows in confusion, and he lowered his hands, peering at Kuzuryu cautiously.  "Wait, are you saying it was my _tone_ that's the problem?"

"I mean, you just said it so easily," Kuzuryu affirmed.  "Like it was the most obvious thing in the world."

"I mean..."  Hinata felt a bit lighter; for what it was worth, Kuzuryu wasn't reacting with anything resembling disgust.  "Being with you _does_ feel like the most natural thing in the world."

"And now you're breaking out the mushy shit, great."  Kuzuryu raised a hand to his face to partially obscure it, and used his other hand to grab Hinata by the necktie.  He pulled him close, and peered up at Hinata, golden eyes boring into green.  "I wouldn't have thought you had it in you, to be honest.  Here I was thinking I'd have to be the one to bring it up eventually."

It was Hinata's turn to let his eyes widen in shock.  "Wait, did you just say what I think you said?"

"And what the fuck do you think I said?"

"I mean, it sure sounded like you—"

Hinata was abruptly cut off when there was a swift jerk at his neck and the unmistakable pressure of lips against his own.

 _Kuzuryu's_ lips.

Objectively speaking, it wasn't a terribly great kiss; their lips were chapped from the cold, their noses bumped together, and it was over before Hinata really had the chance to process what was happening.  It had been little more than an insistent press of lips to prove a point.  But as they parted and Hinata came to accept that _yes, that really just happened,_ he felt awash with sheer, intoxicating joy, and he found himself unable to think of anything besides Kuzuryu, and everything he had ever done with Kuzuryu, and everything Kuzuryu had ever said to him, and in that moment, he couldn't imagine anything he would have wanted more.

"There," Kuzuryu said with finality as he let go of Hinata's tie.  He seemed to be trying to act aloof about the situation, but his deepening flush ruined the illusion.  "I went ahead and finished what we started at my place.  That enough of an answer for you?"

Hinata couldn't help but laugh in response, and after belatedly sparing just half a second to confirm there was no one in the area who would see, he wrapped his arms around Kuzuryu and pulled him close, wishing he would never have to let him go.

* * *

_> "Will you go out with me?" "Okay, where are we going?"_

_> LOL.  Is that the answer you got?_

_> It's the answer I got from YOU.  I remembered just now._

_> Oh.  Well, I was fifteen._

_> Most fifteen-year-olds would realize what it meant..._

_> Okay, then what response did you get from a twenty-four-year-old?_

_> Twenty-five._

_> Hinata-kun, you're into cougars?!_

_> No!  I'm not that much younger!  How do you even know that word?!_

_> I heard it from Souda-kun, I think.  So what was the response?_

_>...It was similar to yours._

_> Maybe you should consider changing your verbiage._

_> The question is part of common vernacular.  I don't understand why I should need to clarify my intent each time._

_> And once your intent was clarified?_

_> It was a yes._

_> *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'ヽ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ☆;:*:;☆;:*:;☆CONGRATULATIONS☆;:*:;☆;:*:;☆ヽ(ﾟ▽ﾟ )/'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*_

_> holy shit_

_> I'm happy for you, Hinata-kun._

_> I kind of gathered.  Thanks._

_> You should introduce me sometime._

_> Uh._

_> Or would it be weird for your ex-girlfriend to meet your current girlfriend?_

_> I, well.  I mean, you're not just my ex-girlfriend, you're my best friend, so that wouldn't be weird, but it's just... um.  Well, one of these days, I guess._

_> You'll be much happier with her than you were with me, I think._

_> Oh come on, what am I supposed to say to that?!_

_> Say that you will.  Promise that you will, or I'll get mad._

_> I was happy with you._

_> That doesn't make the comparative "happier" any less valid.  Or should I use the superlative "happiest"?_

_>...Comparative is fine for now.  I promise, then._

_> Good.  I should get back to work on my project now, there's some sort of bug with the collision engine that's causing clipping on one of the level maps, even though it works fine everywhere else.  Isn't that weird?_

_> I have no idea what any of that means but you should be getting to sleep, not doing whatever that is!_

_> It's fine.  You should go to sleep, too.  Goodnight, and congrats again, Hinata-kun!_

_> Thanks.  Goodnight, Nanami._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this first story arc! It would also be the end of the once-a-week posting schedule I failed at... but I have a couple more chapters I want to post before the end of December, so I'll have to see what I can manage!
> 
> PS: this has nothing to do with anything, but if you haven't watched Yuri!!! On Ice, I highly recommend it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm here starting up a little five-chapter mini-arc for the holidays...! I wanted to post some side stories before this, but I ran out of time, ahaha. I'll just save those for later!
> 
> This chapter hasn't been betaed yet because my lovely beta is having some internet issues, so any errors or general crappiness is my fault alone!
> 
> I have posting schedule for this mini-arc at the end of the chapter. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, happy holidays to those who celebrate something else this time of year, and a wonderful day to everyone in general!

The bitter cold of winter generally wasn't very kind to the residents of Kibougaoka; the aging buildings usually didn't have the best insulation, and space heaters could only go so far.  The koban, being the most recently renovated building in town, subsequently saw an uptick in visitors popping in for a friendly chat while taking a moment to warm up before resuming their daily errands.

With the quickly approaching holidays, many people also brought by gifts as thanks for the officers' work over the past year—largely sweets and other snacks.  There were too many for Hinata and Kirigiri to reasonably consume by themselves, so they ended up placed on a table for other visitors to help themselves to.

"Are _all_ of these from Andoh's place?" Kuzuryu asked with thinly-veiled disgust as he shuffled through the offerings to check what had been added by the visitor that just left.

"People supporting local businesses is a _good_ thing," was Hinata's diplomatic response as he finished up with the form he was signing.  When he looked up, he saw Kuzuryu opening a pack of madeleines and popping one in his mouth.  "Wait, you're eating them anyway!"

Kuzuryu shrugged as he walked back over to the desk; his sweet tooth apparently trumped whatever personal feelings he might harbor for the one who baked them, and Hinata couldn't help but smile fondly.

"Is it good, then?" he asked when the yakuza had settled back in the chair across his desk.

Kuzuryu swallowed, then grinned at him.  "Why don't you see for yourself?" he said, holding up another madeleine.

Hinata's heart stuttered a bit in his chest when the small cake was pressed against his lips, but he hesitated only a moment before opening his mouth to accept it.  Even if anyone was watching, being fed was probably innocent enough.

But the way Kuzuryu's fingers lingered at Hinata's lower lip definitely was not.  Hinata stilled, entranced by the look in Kuzuryu's eyes as his boyfriend tried unsuccessfully to fight down a blush.  Hinata took half a second to glance out the window, confirming that no other visitors were about to step in, that Kirigiri wasn't about to return from lunch, before placing a light peck at Kuzuryu's fingertips.

Kuzuryu pulled his hand back then, his cheeks reddening further; Hinata could never get enough of how easily the yakuza blushed.  He grinned as Kuzuryu turned away to hide his embarrassment.

"So how was it?"

"Huh?"

"The madeleine."

"Oh."  Hinata had honestly forgotten all about the pastry Kuzuryu fed him.  "I wasn't paying attention to that, you were too distracting."

Kuzuryu turned back to glower at him, and Hinata couldn't help but laugh.  Gosh, he wanted nothing more in that moment than to lean over and kiss those flushed cheeks... but no, he wouldn't dare kiss another man in the koban.  Kiss a _yakuza_ in the koban.  He had already done that once, weeks earlier, and he wasn't going to push his luck again.

It was hard for the two of them to find the time or the place to really act like a couple; Hinata was relatively well-known as an officer in the area, and being seen dating another man wasn't likely to reflect well on the police force, yakuza or no.  He didn't _want_ to feel self-conscious about being with Kuzuryu—his feelings were nothing to be ashamed of—but being in the flush of their relationship's honeymoon phase, the air feeling so nakedly electric between them, Hinata was much more comfortable going on dates further from the city center, where he'd be less likely to be recognized.

Besides that, during the day-to-day minutiae, they were content to simply stay in one another's presence, though it was sometimes difficult to fight the desire for physical contact.  Kuzuryu would spend several hours of the day hanging out in the koban with Hinata, which wasn't all that different from before, really, except they would occasionally let their arms brush together atop the desk, just the slightest curl of pinky and ring fingers together, inconspicuous enough that they could casually pull apart without notice if someone else came in.

Which was becoming all the more frequent with the steady stream of holiday visitors.  Hinata reflexively sat back in his chair as the doorknob turned, even though he hadn't given in to the urge to touch his boyfriend (really!), and focused his attention back on paperwork.

The cold burst of air from the open door cut through the warmth of the koban like a knife.  "Sorry to intrude," Pekoyama muttered as she shut the door behind her.

"All that's happening in here is paperwork," Hinata insisted, but curiosity won out over whatever embarrassment he would have felt from the implication.  Pekoyama didn't often enter the building unless she was fetching Kuzuryu for some urgent business, and even that was rare.

"Is something the matter?" Kuzuryu asked, looking about ready to stand from his seat, but Pekoyama stopped him with a shake of her head.

"No, nothing has happened, but..."  She trailed off, seeming uncharacteristically hesitant as she wrung her gloved hands together.

Hinata took notice of the action, having never seen the silver-haired woman exhibit such a nervous tic, and deduced that it must be something else.  "Are you cold?" he asked.

Pekoyama's hands stilled.

"What, is that it?"  Kuzuryu sighed.  "Don't force yourself to stand guard outside, it's fucking freezing."

"I apologize," she said quietly, bowing her head slightly.

"There's nothing to apologize for!"  Hinata stood up to beckon her inside.  "Come on, I'll find you a chair, and you can help yourself to some of those snacks..."

"None of that will be necessary," she said, her tone once again crisp and decisive.  "Just the shelter will suffice."

Hinata faltered and glanced back at Kuzuryu, who only shrugged.  "All right, then," he said, sitting back down.

The atmosphere in the room was slightly different with Pekoyama there, but it wasn't exactly uncomfortable.  Though somewhat oppressive, Hinata considered her more of a supportive presence than anything, and there wasn't the pressure to hide a relationship that she was already aware of, either.

He couldn't say whether Kuzuryu felt the same, though.  The yakuza heir had visibly tensed up with Pekoyama present, the set of his jaw firm under her watchful gaze.  After a few minutes, Hinata tried reaching over to place a comforting hand on Kuzuryu's arm, only to immediately pull back when the doorknob turned.

Kirigiri walked into the koban, then paused as the door shut behind her.  She let her calculating gaze skim over the two men before settling on Pekoyama, then turned back to Hinata with a questioning look.

Oh, right.  The two women had never actually met before.  "That's Pekoyama," Hinata supplied.  "She's, uh..."

"She works for me," Kuzuryu finished when Hinata faltered.

"I see."  Kirigiri turned back to Pekoyama, an eyebrow arched.  "Let me see the sword."

Hinata felt his heart jump into his throat, shocked that Kirigiri would immediately do what he had never dared, but really, of _course_ she would.  He tried not to visibly panic as he looked to Kuzuryu; there was no way she would overlook the hidden katana blade.

But Kuzuryu only shrugged as he turned his attention to fiddling with his phone, and Pekoyama calmly handed over the sheathed sword to the senior officer.  Hinata watched nervously as Kirigiri uncovered the sword, inspected it, carefully studied the bamboo... and, apparently satisfied, she returned it to Pekoyama with a nod.

"That's fine."  Shedding her heavy winter coat, Kirigiri strode purposefully towards the changing room.  "Hinata-kun, you can run out and get some lunch if you want."

"Uh, right..."  Hinata watched her disappear into the back, thoroughly confused, and looked to his boyfriend hoping for some sort of explanation.  Kuzuryu, however, was still focused on his phone.

Which _was_ the explanation, Hinata found out in the next instant, when his own cellphone buzzed in his pocket.  He pulled it out and wordlessly checked the text message.

_> Peko only likes to carry the steel one if the situation requires it.  Kibougaoka is pretty low-danger, so._

That seemed to make sense... Hinata glanced back up, meeting Kuzuryu's gaze before the yakuza turned away again.  So she was carrying a legal practice sword the entire time.  That was... encouraging.  Or it should have been, but there was still a strange knot of unease in the pit of Hinata's stomach.

It wasn't until later on that Hinata wondered why the steel blade would need to be carried in Kuzuryu's own home.

* * *

Hinata could count on one hand the number of people who knew of his relationship with Kuzuryu.

Hanamura had figured it out very early on, which was to be expected, really.  Then Naegi had found out a few weeks later by pure dumb luck.  Pekoyama... Hinata wasn't sure exactly _when_ she had found out, it had just kind of been accepted as fact from the very start that she _did_.  He suspected that she may have actually witnessed his awkward, bumbling, absolutely humiliating confession, but confirming that as truth would have been even _more_ mortifying, so he never asked.

Hinata honestly didn't know whether to count Kirigiri as a fourth finger, though.  She must have had her suspicions—it would be foolish to expect otherwise—but none of her actions over the past month indicated that she knew for sure that they had become an item.

Maybe a romantic relationship was so far removed from Kirigiri's interests that she hadn't even considered it as a possibility, at least where Hinata and Kuzuryu were concerned.  Hinata hoped that was the case; it would be so much easier if she didn't know, for her sake and for theirs.  But even if it were, he doubted that would last for very long.

For the moment, at least, they tried to act as if nothing had changed when she was around, and she didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.  At the very least, the wary glances occasionally turned in their direction weren't any different than they had been before.  Hinata was fairly sure that she would have said something if she had figured it out, so the fact that she hadn't was a good sign.

It had worked out pretty well for over a month, and it wasn't until late that day, as Hinata was preparing to leave for the night, that he had gotten any indication otherwise.

"Do you have any plans for your day off tomorrow, Hinata-kun?" Kirigiri asked idly while tidying up the work area.

"Oh, yeah," Hinata answered as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.  "I'll be spending the evening with Kuzuryu, going out to dinner and stuff."

Kirigiri paused in organizing the desk.  "With Kuzuryu-kun?"

"Yeah...?"  Hinata turned to look back at her, unsure of what to think of the wary expression on her face.

"On Christmas Eve?"

Hinata realized his mistake a too late; he had just admitted that he would be spending the biggest date night of the year with Kuzuryu.  He hadn't really been thinking of the implications, considering it not much more than any other Saturday night, but... did it _have_ to imply anything?  Wouldn't it be just as feasible that they could be two single guys hanging out together instead of feeling sorry for themselves?  "Well, yeah," Hinata replied, trying to play it off as casually as possible.  "I guess it is."

Kirigiri didn't respond immediately, staring silently at him while tapping a finger against her chin.  "Hmm.  I see."

"Is there a problem?"  He hoped to god she wasn't going to make it into a problem...

She thought for a moment, tilting her head to the right, then sighed and shook her head.  "I suppose I'm more impressed than anything else."

"Impressed?"

Kirigiri hummed vaguely in response as she returned to her deskwork.  "Yes, impressed.  Are you all right, though?"

Hinata had completely lost the train of conversation.  "I... yes?  Why wouldn't I be?"

She shook her head again, eyes remaining downcast this time.  "Never mind.  We'll talk at a later date."

"Okay..."  Hinata still didn't understand.  And here he had thought he was pretty good at reading his sempai...

He didn't make a move to leave, though, and after a moment Kirigiri glanced up at him again.  "You're free to go now.  Have a good night, Hinata-kun."

"Uh, right."  He backed up to the door awkwardly, not entirely sure if that was the right move to be making, despite being dismissed by Kirigiri.  Some sort of change had just occurred, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy.  "I'll be leaving now, then."

He saw Kirigiri give a short nod before he turned to open the door.  "Have a good time tomorrow.  Don't stay out too late."

"Okay.  Good night, Sempai."  With those parting words, Hinata stepped out the door and into the bitter cold to head home.  He closed the door firmly behind him, placing a physical barrier between himself and whatever new workplace dynamic he had just created.

He took a deep breath, willing himself to put that behind him and enjoy the rest of his weekend.

* * *

Their dinner on Christmas Eve hadn't been anything particularly special; Hinata had insisted on making the reservations himself, since he wasn't completely comfortable with the strings Kuzuryu would occasionally pull to secure date spots on his family's turf.  Kuzuryu insisted that they were all perfectly legal connections, but the fact remained that they were _yakuza_ connections, so surely his boyfriend had to be stretching the truth a little bit there.  For Christmas Eve, at least, he wanted to be sure that they were well within the bounds of the law.

"I _could_ get them to move us to a better table," Kuzuryu suggested even as they were seated at the restaurant in Hachioji.  He reached over to trace idle shapes on the back of Hinata's hand, grinning wickedly.  "A more private table, if you want."

Hinata would be lying if he said that wasn't a little bit tempting, but he stood firm in his decision even as he shifted his hand to twine his fingers with Kuzuryu's, chuckling fondly.

Even though their dinner table was supposedly less than ideal, they were in a good mood after dinner and decided to take a walk along the streets lined with Christmas lights, making a brief stop at Kuzuryu's favorite coffeehouse for some hot chocolate.

They walked leisurely through the shopping district, taking in the lights and store displays, their arms just barely brushing as they walked side-by-side.  The cup of cocoa warmed Hinata's bare hands, just as being next to the most important person in the world to him warmed his entire being.  Contentedly, he looked around at the sights to sear it all into his memory; in that moment, nothing else mattered.  Not the strange half-discussion he had had with Kirigiri the day before, and definitely not the biting chill of winter.

Winter...

"Oh yeah, your birthday is probably coming up soon, right, Kuzuryu?" Hinata tore his gaze from the store displays and grinned down at his boyfriend.  "We should do something together.  When is it, exactly?"

Kuzuryu's face screwed into a strange expression, cheeks pinker than usual from the cold, and he opened his mouth to respond, but clamped it shut before uttering a word.  After a moment to reconsider his answer, Kuzuryu said, "What makes you think my birthday's coming up?"

Hinata blinked blankly.  "Well, isn't it?  I mean... your name's Fuyuhiko, so I figured you were born in the winter..."

Kuzuryu rolled his eyes and jabbed his elbow against Hinata's arm, jostling his hot chocolate a bit.  "Dumbass.  I was born in August.  It's still a long ways off."

"Oh..."  Hinata considered this as he rubbed his arm.  "So why weren't you named Natsuhiko?"

"Mom wanted to save 'natsu' for a daughter," Kuzuryu said, shrugging.  "But Dad wanted me named after a season.  Family tradition.  So they settled on winter because why the fuck not?  Wasn't gonna make any sense anyway."  He huffed out an airy laugh.  "They did end up using 'natsu' for my sister's name, even though she was born in early spring.  Didn't use the summer kanji though."

"Ah..." Hinata let his eyes wander back to the Christmas displays nervously, unsure of where to lead the conversation from there, if he was expected to let the subject drop.  Even now that they were going out, Kuzuryu still wasn't keen on talking about his sister, so Hinata tried not to bring it up.  He definitely didn't want to risk ruining the Christmas mood by stepping on that landmine.

"So what about you?"

"Yes?!"  Hinata's attention snapped eagerly back onto his boyfriend, grateful for whatever conversation topic Kuzuryu deemed appropriate.

The yakuza raised a curious eyebrow at Hinata's enthusiasm.  "Your birthday.  When is it?"

"Oh..."  Oh.  Right.  Hinata should have expected the question to be turned back onto him.  He averted his eyes again, laughing bashfully.  "Right.  My birthday..."

"Spit it out, Hinata."

"Eh, well..."  He hummed thoughtfully, trying to appear nonchalant.  "It's January 1st."

It took a moment to realize that Kuzuryu had stopped walking, and Hinata turned back to look at him.  "What's up?"

Kuzuryu's face screwed into a frown as he stomped back to Hinata's side.  "'What's up'?!  Hinata, that's fuckin' soon!  That's in a _week_!"

"Ah, well yeah, I guess it is..."

"And that's New Year's!  Did you have any intention of telling me?"

Hinata gave a light shrug.  "Only if it came up, I guess?  I mean, it's not that big of a deal..."

"The fuck it isn't..."  Kuzuryu continued muttering obscenities under his breath as he dug out his cell phone and began swiping through the screens with one hand, keeping his hot drink steady with the other.  "Shit.  Everything's gonna be booked at this point.  Gonna hafta pull some strings..."

"Whoa, whoa!"  Hinata grabbed the phone from Kuzuryu's hands before he knew he was doing, and instantly regretted it when Kuzuryu's eyes flared dangerously.  He easily let his boyfriend snatch the phone right back.

"I've told you _not_ to touch my fucking phone, dumbass!" Kuzuryu hissed.

"I... sorry, yeah.  That was dumb."  They fell into an awkward silence for a moment as Hinata watched the yakuza heir wipe the fingerprints from his phone.  "Um... but you really don't have to do anything for my birthday.  It's fine."

Kuzuryu glowered up at him.  "When you obviously were going to plan something when you thought my birthday was soon?  Pot, meet kettle.  I'm taking you somewhere and you better not refuse if you know what's good for you."  He glanced away then, and Hinata saw his cheeks redden further,  "'Sides... I just wanna, okay?  Dumbass..."

Hinata could feel a goofy grin spreading across his face, and he sidled up closer to Kuzuryu, letting their arms press together to share warmth in the winter cold.  "All right then.  But no funny business, okay?  If you're planning something unsavory to get a reservation somewhere, then I want no part of it."

"Duh."  Kuzuryu busied himself with the phone again, but not before pushing back against Hinata's side, reciprocating the show of affection.  "I have some guys that owe me favors already, so I'm just gonna hit them up and see what I can get."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write some kuzuhina kisses in this chapter but that... didn't happen... *sobs* The boys just insisted on being too sweet and pure!
> 
> Fun fact: I wrote the part about Kuzu's sister having "natsu" in her name and being born in early spring before she had a canon name or birthday. Turns out I was correct on both counts. *fistpump*
> 
> Okay so the update schedule for the next few chapters!  
> Chapter 12: December 27  
> Chapter 13: December 29  
> Chapter 14: January 1  
> (yes for real)
> 
> After that... we'll have to see. Unlike the others, chapter 15 hasn't been pre-written; I'll try to have it up sometime in January too, but I don't even trust myself to meet my deadlines, so you shouldn't either!! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a bit sick for the past couple days, and the time I was going to spend polishing up this chapter ended up being spent on trying to sleep off this bug... so as a result, it's up a day late. Sorry! I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow as planned, but it might get pushed back a day, too. Chapter 14 is still on track for January 1, though!
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy! As of this chapter, I'm switching to Kuzuryu POV for a bit... kind of an odd place to make the switch, but it didn't work any other way, hehe.

"What Kuzuryu could manage to get," it turned out, ended up being a reservation for a two-night stay at an onsen in Hakone.

Kuzuryu stared down at the phone in his hands, open to the email confirming the reservation his contact had gotten for him, and tapped his foot nervously.  Hinata had agreed to it easily enough when Kuzuryu revealed it earlier that evening, though he had seemed apprehensive about the legality of the arrangements.  It had been a completely legitimate agreement, though, and once Hinata had been sufficiently convinced of that, he seemed to have absolutely no qualms about taking the trip.

Kuzuryu just wished he could say the same about himself.  He groaned and leaned against the table, free to show how nervous he was now that Hinata had left to catch the train.

Had the cop completely missed the implications of spending the night together?  At a hot springs resort?  Because he sure as hell hadn't seemed all that flustered about it.  And that only made Kuzuryu feel all the more ridiculous for the way his stomach churned with nerves.

It wasn't like he was completely inexperienced when it came to sex.  He had lost his virginity to a cabaret girl from one of his father's hostess clubs when he was seventeen.  But he had felt nothing for the woman, and was absolutely disgusted with himself after the fact.  It had sort of put him off the idea of sleeping around ever since.  But if it were with Hinata...

He felt his face flush and he pushed the phone away from him, burying his face in his arms.  He definitely wouldn't mind if it were with Hinata.  They had been going out for about a month and a half, so it was... probably around the right time to start thinking of it?  At the very least, it was a hell of a lot more appropriate than bedding a hostess he barely knew just because she had offered.

But if Hinata wasn't interested yet...

"Ooh, is this where you're taking Hinata-kun for his birthday?"

Kuzuryu's head snapped up and he grabbed the phone away from Hanamura's field of vision, glaring at the cook who had come to start clearing off the table.  "What of it?"  Kuzuryu glanced at the screen quickly, confirming with some relief that it was only open to the hotel's website, nothing incriminating.

"Hmm, nothing."  Hanamura continued to stack dishes, a knowing smirk on his face.  Kuzuryu kind of wanted to punch him.  "Plan to seduce him in the open-air bath?"

"None of your fucking business.  And it's a shared hot spring with other guests."

Hanamura shot Kuzuryu a knowing grin, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.  "Oh, but that just makes it all the more exciting, doesn't it?  Give them a show!"

Kuzuryu was pretty damn sure his disgust was reflected clearly on his face.  "Just fuck off, fatass.  Kinda busy wallowing in misery here."

"Hmm."  Contrary to Kuzuryu's request, Hanamura slid into the seat opposite him, and Kuzuryu had half a mind to shout at him to _get the fuck out of Hinata's seat!_  "But now you've piqued my interest!  Are you worried that Hinata-kun isn't going into the trip with the same expectations you are?"

Bingo.  "Keep your nose out of it, Hanamura," Kuzuryu hissed.

Hanamura chuckled, pulling his cell phone from the front pocket of his apron.  "I see.  Then I guess you're not interested in seeing the panicked texts Hinata-kun sent me after he left tonight?"

_That_ got Kuzuryu's attention.  "What the fuck?  Show me!"

"Nope."  With an exaggerated flourish, Hanamura pocketed the phone again.  "Actually, those texts don't even exist.  I'm surprised you're actually that worried about it!"

Kuzuryu felt like he wanted to rip his hair out.  "Just show me the conversation on your fucking phone, Hanamura."

"Unfortunately, there are some private personal discussions there, so I can't."  Hanamura got up from the table and picked up his stack of plates again.  "But there really isn't anything there about your trip.  He doesn't even talk to me about his relationship with you.  I think Hinata-kun knows that I'd just take it too far."

"So you're aware of that?!"

"In any case," Hanamura continued, completely ignoring Kuzuryu's retort, "I don't think you should be worrying about this as much as you are.  I can tell you that Hinata-kun isn't as innocent as you think he is."

If that was Hanamura's idea of trying to cheer him up, it was a fucking terrible one.  Kuzuryu clenched his hands tightly as his insides burned unpleasantly.  "And what exactly does that mean?"

Hanamura paused, and actually had the good grace to show a modicum of uncertainty at Kuzuryu's response.  "Well, for one thing, he had a girlfriend once.  Hasn't he told you that?"

He had, but Hinata had said it wasn't anything terribly serious.  "Is that all?"

"Er, well."  Hanamura looked a bit uncomfortable then, and Kuzuryu cocked an eyebrow curiously.  "I'm not trying to imply that he's _experienced_ , exactly, but what I mean is that I'm sure the two of you aren't on as different wavelengths as you think!  Anyway, feel free to stick around a bit longer, but I'm locking up in thirty minutes!"

Kuzuryu frowned at the cook as he disappeared behind the counter to wash up.

He was really hating the guy more with every conversation they had.

* * *

Once Kuzuryu had stepped out of the izakaya into the chilly December air, he took a deep breath, hoping that it would help cool down the burning uncertainty filling his body.

It didn't really help.

"Are you finished here?"

He looked to his side to see Peko appear from around the corner of the building.

"Yeah, call the car."  He sighed, running a hand through his short hair, and glanced at his phone again to check the time.  It was getting close to 1 AM, meaning that he wouldn't get home until nearly 2.  He briefly considered spending the night at the Hachioji office instead just so that he could get to sleep that much earlier, but he knew that Peko would be against that.  God, maybe he should start considering buying a place in Kibougaoka...

"So about that trip you're taking..."

Kuzuryu looked up at Peko and saw that her gaze was directed at his phone, still open to the ryokan homepage.  He groaned and stuffed the phone into his pocket.  "Fuck me, not you too..."

Peko's brows knitted together in confusion.  "Me too?"

"Don't worry about it.  What is it you want to say?"

Peko paused for just a moment, considering her words carefully.  "Are you sure you don't want me or someone else to accompany you for security?"

"What?!"  Kuzuryu gaped openly at her, trying to keep his cheeks from reddening too much, but _fucking hell_ he had always had a tendency to blush far too easily.  "No!  Just— no!  Fucking stay home, all right?!"

If there was the possibility of the trip heading in... _that_ direction, he sure as hell didn't want anyone from the family hanging around to _spectate_!

Peko hummed thoughtfully, indicating that she wasn't quite ready to ease up on the issue.  "Then the contact you used to get this reservation.  Is he to be trusted?"

Kuzuryu grumbled into his scarf.  "Yeah, he's good."

"And he's _completely_ loyal to you?"

"Peko, it's fine."  He glanced at her wearily.  "You know most of the other faction has died out outside of the family."

"It's true that you aren't as much of a target anymore," Peko agreed, "but there are still the fanatics out there who want to see you ruined out of spite.  If they—"

"Look, I say it's going to be fine, so it'll be fine."  Kuzuryu held up a hand to indicate she shouldn't speak any more on the subject.  "Besides, Hinata will be with me the whole time."

There was silence for a moment before Peko finally softened her expression, granting a small smile.  "Yes.  I suppose he will be."

They stood quietly, watching their breath mist in front of them.

"Speaking of which, have you told Hinata about the family yet?"

Kuzuryu stiffened and kept his gaze forward, resolutely not looking at her.  "He's a fucking cop.  Why would I tell him details about the family business?"

"You know that's not what I'm referring to."  She looked down at him, but he still didn't meet her gaze.  "You have to tell him about the state of the family soon, and everything that goes along with it.  If you are serious about your relationship with him, he is absolutely involved in the situation."

Kuzuryu sighed, burying his face further into the scarf.  "I don't want to tell him more than he needs to know."

"But you realize that the extent of 'what Hinata needs to know' increases with every step you take in your relationship."  Peko sighed.  "Have you even told him about the young miss yet?"

Kuzuryu didn't respond.  He hadn't told him, and he knew that he would have to someday, but the idea of telling Hinata everything...

He shivered, and it wasn't due to the cold air.  He didn't _want_ to tell Hinata.  That meant having to admit to his greatest failure to the one person in the world he wanted to think the best of him.

He was scared, and he wasn't going to try to deny that.  He knew that Hinata wouldn't judge him, he knew that Hinata was far too kind to him to think any less of him for it, but still...

"You have to tell him soon."  Pekoyama took a step forward and into Kuzuryu's line of sight, since he wouldn't turn to look at her, and he flinched at the seriousness in her gaze. "He'll find out from someone else eventually if you don't, and I doubt that you want him hearing it from someone besides yourself."

Kuzuryu took a deep sigh.  "Yeah.  I don't.  Look, I'll do it, I just..."

Peko smiled softly, then stepped forward and flagged the car down as it approached.  "I can see that you care for him a lot, so I know this will be difficult.  But I'm sure you trust him to be on your side even after finding out.  I certainly trust him to do that."

Kuzuryu flushed red at that, and he didn't even try to hide it this time.  "...Yeah."

"But if he does turn on you, I'll have to acquaint him with my blade."

"Okay yeah, please don't do that."

* * *

The next day, Kuzuryu arrived at the koban a little after 10 AM, hot chocolate in one hand for himself, and coffee for Hinata in the other.  Hinata smiled up at him fondly when he set the coffee down on the desk in front of him.  "Thanks, Kuzuryu."

The smile set Kuzuryu's stomach fluttering, and he tried to mask his reaction by sitting down on the visitor's chair and taking a sip of his own drink.  "Yeah, no problem."

"What, no coffee for me?"

Kuzuryu glanced up at Kirigiri, who stood against the other wall shuffling through some files.  Her expression was calculating as she sized up the two of them, and it gave Kuzuryu goosebumps along his arms.  Was she trying to imply something?  He shrugged.  "I don't know what you like.  Get that Naegi kid to deliver coffee to you if you want it so bad."

"Oh yeah, he did used to do that, didn't he?" Hinata spoke up, putting his cup down.  "Back when he worked at the cafe.  He'd stop by during his break to drop off some drinks."

Kuzuryu made a disinterested sound as he took a sip of his cocoa and leaned with his arm propped upon the desk.  "Anyway, if you want something, get it for yourself.  I make deliveries for bros only."

"Bros.  Right."  Kirigiri glanced between the two of them briefly, which made Kuzuryu frown and try not to recoil in discomfort.  She sighed, then snapped the file closed and dropped it on the desk as she walked by.  "It's time for me to go on patrol anyway."  She leveled them with a meaningful stare, then turned to the door.  "I'll be back soon, so behave yourselves."

The door closed and silence settled between them.  After a moment, Kuzuryu turned to Hinata, raising an eyebrow in question.  "Did you tell her?"

"No!" Hinata insisted, shaking his head.  "Are you kidding?  I mean..."  He gestured between the two of them.  "It would be pretty bad if _any_ of my superiors found out about... this."

"Well she sure seems to have her suspicions."

"That much shouldn't be too surprising, but, well... "  Hinata groaned, running his fingers through his hair.  "I might have accidentally dropped a pretty big clue?"

"A clue," Kuzuryu deadpanned.  "Like what?"

"I kind of told her we were spending Christmas Eve together."

"So what if we were?"  Kuzuryu reached up to smooth down Hinata's hair, which was sticking up even worse than usual after running his fingers through it.  "That doesn't have to mean shit."

Hinata took Kuzuryu's hand and brought it back down, stroking the back with his thumb.  "Yeah, and I tried to play it off that way, but I'm not sure she bought it."

"Has she said anything about it since?"

"Not yet..."

Kuzuryu made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat and idly wondered if he should pull his hand away from Hinata's.  He decided not to, not yet at least.  "Well, let her have her suspicions or whatever.  But tell me about this shit, all right?"  He squeezed Hinata's hand affectionately.

"Hmm."  Hinata hummed his agreement, then looked back down to the paperwork.  "On that note, I'm getting back to work.  Need to make sure I have everything in order before the weekend."

"The weekend?"

Hinata glanced up at him briefly.  "We're going on a trip together, right?"

"Oh, right."  Kuzuryu took a deep breath, his stomach clenching anxiously.  "Right.  What do you want to do while we're there, by the way?"

Hinata tapped his pen against the paperwork thoughtfully.  "Well, it's a holiday weekend, so places will probably be crowded.  I'd be fine just hanging around the inn, mostly."

"Seriously?"  Kuzuryu laughed.  "We're going to Hakone and that's really all you want to do?"

"Uh."  Hinata looked back up then, and after staring at Kuzuryu for a moment, his cheeks reddened and he glanced away.  "W-well, there's also the fact that it'll be a rare chance for us to be alone for a while, so..."

...Ah.  So he _was_ considering that possibility.  Hearing that confirmation had Kuzuryu's heart pounding hard against his ribcage, and unsure of what to do, he shifted their hands so he could trace meaningless shapes on the top of Hinata's hand, just barely ghosting under the cuff of his sleeve.

They sat in silence for a few moments, each grappling with their own strong emotions.

"We could go to Hakone Shrine together on New Year's, too."

"Sure," Kuzuryu responded, still idly tracing his finger along Hinata's hand.

"Isn't the Kuzuryu Shrine there too?"

"That's a fucking coincidence."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit longer, and Kuzuryu sipped at his now-lukewarm cocoa as he considered the situation.

He... should tell Hinata about everything going on with his clan.  He knew he had to, and Peko would probably say that it should be done before the trip, but... would it be all right to put it off until afterward?  What they had there, in that moment, was... it was good.  He didn't want to ruin that.  But would it be right to advance their relationship without telling Hinata about it?

Well, at the very least, a police koban wasn't the place to have that discussion.  He decided to put it to the side for the moment and focus instead on the comfort of being in Hinata's general vicinity.

After a while, they heard doorknob turn and they took that as their cue to quickly move away from each other, just far enough to not be suspicious.  They exchanged glances, though; they hadn't expected Kirigiri to return so early.  On the other hand, it was fucking cold out and Kuzuryu wouldn't blame her for returning as soon as possible.

But to Kuzuryu's surprise, it wasn't Kirigiri who walked through the door.

"Hi there, Hinata-kun!"

The girl who walked through the door wasn't Kirigiri, but someone Kuzuryu had never seen before, with light dusty-brown shoulder-length hair and a sleepy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D
> 
> btw I haven't had the time to respond to reviews/comments/PMs like I usually do, and that may have to wait until I'm done with this crazy-ass schedule I set for this week. Rest assured that I still read and appreciate all feedback!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent all day yesterday sleeping, and today was the craziest day at my job in recent memory, but somehow I managed to get this to a somewhat presentable state anyway!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

"Nanami?!"

Hinata stood up from his seat, and it was clear from his shocked expression that he hadn't expected to see the girl either.

Kuzuryu watched cautiously as Hinata stepped around the desk towards her.  "What are you doing here?  Shouldn't you be in Nagoya?"

The girl smiled, cocking her head to the side.  "We got the tech demo done ahead of schedule, so the company gave us off for New Year's after all."

"Okay that's great, but you should be taking that opportunity to get some rest!"  Hinata sighed, rubbing the back of his head.  "Tell me you didn't fall asleep on the train, at least."

"I nodded off on the Yamanote and missed my stop a couple of times, but it only took three loops before I got it right, I think."

"If it got to that point you should have just gone straight home!  Kibougaoka's in the opposite direction!"

The girl frowned then, her cheeks puffing out slightly in irritation.  "What's the big deal?  I came to say hi.  I haven't seen you in a while!"

"Yeah, but..."  Hinata glanced back at Kuzuryu then, and Kuzuryu answered by arching an eyebrow in response.

The followed Hinata's gaze and, having apparently noticed Kuzuryu for the first time, offered a wave, the sleeve of her over-sized hoodie flopping with the motion.  "Hello.  I haven't met you before."

"Yeah, this is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu," Hinata said, gesturing to him.  "He's my, uh... friend.  Kuzuryu, this is Chiaki Nanami.  She works in Nagoya as a game tester... and she used to be my girlfriend," he added quickly, smiling sheepishly at Kuzuryu.

"Hinata-kun!"  She sighed.  "You don't need to mention that, do you?  We broke up ages ago."

Hinata laughed nervously.  "Well, yeah but, well..."

Kuzuryu suddenly realized: Hinata had made special mention of that for his sake.  He wanted to make sure there was full disclosure about the situation to his _current_ boyfriend.

Kuzuryu couldn't help but grin from the swell of warm feelings in his chest, and he stood up to greet Nanami properly.  "Hey, I'm Kuzuryu," he said, holding a hand out to shake.  "Nice to meet you."

Nanami offered him a sleepy smile and accepted the handshake.  "Nice to meet you, Kuzuryu-kun.  You're a friend of Hinata-kun's, then."

"Uh, well..."  Kuzuryu faltered a bit as he let go of her hand, but quickly recovered himself.  "He's kind of a dumbass, but I guess so."

"Was that really necessary?" Hinata groused, looking down at Kuzuryu exasperatedly.  He then turned to Nanami.  "Anyway, so with that out of the way what are you really here for, Nanami?  If you're home for New Year's, you should go be spending it with your dad."

"I will," Nanami said airily.  "But Hinata-kun, your birthday is coming up too.  If you aren't busy, I thought you could come to my house to celebrate like we used to."

Kuzuryu bristled, a jolt of jealousy spiking through his body.  What was this woman doing?!

"Uh..."  Hinata held up his hands defensively and gave an apologetic smile.  "Sorry, Nanami, but I have plans..."

"Oh right, you have a new girlfriend now."  Nanami smiled up at him, apparently completely unbothered by being turned down.  "I'd like to meet her if I get the chance.  You've barely told me anything since you asked me for advice about confessing."

"What the hell?!"  Kuzuryu stared at Nanami, then glared up at Hinata.  "You went to your _ex-girlfriend_ about that?!"

Hinata laughed nervously.  "I mean... she is my ex, but we're still best friends, so..."

"Still, she's your _ex_!"  Kuzuryu placed a hand on his forehead, sighing.  "Surely there were other people you could have talked to about it?"

"Actually... there weren't, really..."

Nanami watched the two of them thoughtfully, and finally she clapped her hands together, the soft sound of fabric upon fabric surprising them into silence.  "I see," Nanami said, a light triumphant smile on her face as she looked directly at Kuzuryu.  "So _he's_ your new girlfriend."

"Who the fuck are you saying is a girlfriend?!"

"Nanami, Nanami!" Hinata quickly cut in, stepping in front of Kuzuryu before he could advance on the woman.  "The word is 'boyfriend'!"

"Oh, right," Nanami said easily, looking completely unperturbed.  "But neither of you denied it.  I take that to mean I'm correct?"

Hinata opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but he was silent, and turned to Kuzuryu helplessly.  Kuzuryu groaned; well, _that_ was out of the bag.

"I see."  Nanami looked between the two men in turn.  "That's right, you swing both ways, don't you, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata placed a hand on his forehead and leaned against the desk, looking almost as if he were about to lose his balance.  "You forgot about that?"

"I didn't forget," Nanami said, cocking her head to the side.  "It's just not something I really think about.  Hinata-kun is Hinata-kun, and that's all that matters, isn't it?"

"I think it's a little reckless to say that's _all_ that matters..."

Kuzuryu sat back down and picked up his cup of cocoa, watching the two of them as he sipped the drink idly.  He was still a little wary of the sudden appearance of Hinata's ex-girlfriend, but he wasn't going to get in between them if all they were going to do was some catching up.

"Anyway, this is good timing, I think."  Nanami stepped around Hinata and pulled up a chair next to Kuzuryu, sitting herself down in it.  "I've been wanting to talk to the person Hinata-kun is going out with now.  You said you're Kuzuryu-kun, right?"

"Uh, yeah."  Kuzuryu looked up at Hinata behind her, who just shook his head in exasperation and went back to his desk.  "What do you want to know?"

"Hmm..."  She considered him for a moment, and he tried not to squirm under her gaze.  Finally, she turned to face Hinata again.  "Comparative or superlative?"

Hinata's pen paused in the middle of writing something.  "...Nanami," was all he said.

"Is it that difficult to answer?"

Kuzuryu wasn't sure what they were talking about, but he watched in interest as Hinata's face reddened and he looked away.  "Comparative," he muttered finally.

"Not superlative?"  Nanami looked a little worried, and Kuzuryu found himself really wishing he knew what they were talking about.

Hinata took a moment to think before offering, "Comparatively superlative?"

"Hmm..."  She looked back to Kuzuryu again, regarding him thoughtfully.  "I guess that makes sense."

"That's great for you," Kuzuryu said dryly, "but it doesn't make sense to me."

"It's nothing to worry about," Hinata insisted, turning again to his work.

"Really..."

"No, Hinata-kun's right, that's a good sign."  Nanami smiled gently at Kuzuryu.  "If that's the case, I'm really glad he met you!  How did the two of you meet, anyway?"

Kuzuryu averted his gaze awkwardly.  "At the izakaya."

"I see.  And what do you do for work, Kuzuryu-kun?"

"Uh..."  Kuzuryu stared down at his hot chocolate.  "My dad... owns a business.  I'll be taking it over someday."

"You seem a little uncomfortable," she observed, cocking her head as she looked him over.  "Is something the matter?"

Kuzuryu leaned against the desk, if only to be marginally closer to Hinata, and huffed, resting his chin in his hand.  "I mean, my boyfriend's ex is here all but interrogating me, how the fuck do you _think_ I feel?"

Nanami hummed thoughtfully in response.  "I don't mean to make you nervous.  I just want to know the person Hinata-kun has fallen for.  And you don't have to worry about me, I'm really just a friend."  She gestured between Hinata and herself.  "We were in the same class in middle and high school, so we've gotten along for a while, and we sort of look out for each other too.  I guess it's because we were both brought up with single parents, so—"

" _Nanami._ "

Kuzuryu blinked and turned to Hinata, noting with some interest that he was gripping his pen tightly, his face losing some of its color.

_What...?_

"...Oh."  Nanami looked at Hinata, then back at Kuzuryu, covering her mouth with a hand.  "Hinata-kun, you haven't talked with him about that?  That's not good..."

"Talked about what?" Kuzuryu demanded, running their conversation back through his head.  "What's not good?"

Single parents?  That wasn't such a big deal, was it?  But now that he was thinking about it...

Hinata hadn't told him _anything_ about his family.

Kuzuryu stood up from his chair, facing Hinata directly.  "What is she talking about, Hinata?"

Hinata turned his gaze away.  "Now really isn't the time," he whispered.

"The time for _what_ , Hinata?!"

"Kuzuryu-kun," Nanami said, standing up and placing a hand on his elbow.  He immediately shook her off.  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything—"

" _No shit_ you shouldn't have said anything!" Kuzuryu yelled, turning on her.  "But that's not the issue here, is it?  Huh?  The real problem is what _he's_ been keeping from me!"

"Kuzuryu, stop."  Hinata stood up and placed a hand on Kuzuryu's shoulder.  "Could you just calm down?"

"Maybe if I knew what was going on with you I would!"

Hinata looked like the world was falling apart around him, and Kuzuryu felt the strong urge to wrap his arms around the man and assure him that it was all okay, but the stronger emotion that won out was his anger—anger at Hinata for keeping things from him, anger at Nanami for revealing the gaping flaw in their relationship.

And he was especially angry at himself for not even thinking to open the conversation on his own.

He heard the door to the koban click open, and he just barely registered Kirigiri stepping into the office, stopping on a dime as soon as she saw the scene inside.  Her cool gaze flitted from Hinata, to Nanami, and then to Kuzuryu, and she drew her mouth into a hard line.  "...I'm sorry.  I'm interrupting something, aren't I?"

There was a rushing in Kuzuryu's ears as he realized: yes, _Kirigiri definitely knew he and Hinata were going out_ , and she knew what effect Nanami's presence could have on them.  He gripped his cup tightly, hearing the paper begin to crumple under the force, and he pushed himself away from the situation, past Kirigiri and her calculating gaze to head for the door.  "I'm getting the fuck out of here," he bit out.

"Wait, Kuzuryu—!"  He heard Hinata follow him outside, apologizing as he left Nanami and Kirigiri in the koban.  "Kuzuryu, will you stop for a moment?!"

"And what if I do?!"  Kuzuryu turned on his heel to face Hinata directly.  "Do you intend to tell me whatever it was that Nanami bitch was talking about?!"

Hinata's face hardened.  "Don't talk about her that way."

"That's _not a fucking answer,_ Hinata!"  Kuzuryu took the few steps forward to close the distance between them and jabbed his finger into Hinata's chest.  "You just have no intention to talk at all, do you?  You never have."

Hinata took a deep breath.  "Look, I will, it's just hard to talk about, so..."

"Oh bull _shit_."  Kuzuryu shoved Hinata roughly, then took a step back.  "You haven't told me _anything_ about yourself from before I met you!"

Regaining his balance, Hinata glared at Kuzuryu, clearly sharing the anger between them.  "Well then how about you?!   _You_ haven't told me, anything, either!  I have no idea _what_ happened in your past!"

Kuzuryu was taken aback momentarily, but his expression hardened into stone as he registered Hinata's words.  "You're talking about Natsumi, aren't you."

" _I don't know!_ "  Hinata yelled.  "Is that your sister's name?  Natsumi?  Because you've never even told me _that_!"

Honestly, Kuzuryu couldn't really remember if he had ever mentioned his sister's name, so maybe Hinata was right about that... but he wasn't going to back down when he was trying to prove a point.  "You have no idea what you're treading on, Hinata."

" _No shit_ I don't!  Because _you won't tell me_!"

There was desperation in Hinata's voice, and it tore at Kuzuryu's heart, but he couldn't give in.  Even if he wanted to tell Hinata everything, it wasn't the time nor the place.  Not out in the open, in broad daylight.

They stood in silence for a moment, the cold air piercing their lungs as they breathed heavily, until finally Hinata sighed, running his fingers through his hair.  "Look, I...  You're right, I really should have told you, but it's... difficult to talk about," he said.  His hair stuck up awkwardly, but Kuzuryu made no move to smooth it back into place this time.  "But just... it's not right for you to be angry about that when there are things you don't want to talk about either, you know?"

Kuzuryu stared up at him, resolutely keeping his expression steady.  "Who knows?" he asked finally.

"What?"

"Who knows about it?  Who have you told?  Nanami obviously knows about whatever you're not telling me."

"Well, yeah..."  Hinata looked to the side, staring at some point on the ground next to his shoes.  "I mean, she's been there for me for _years_.  Of course she knows."

Kuzuryu frowned.  "And Kirigiri?"

Hinata's brows screwed up in thought, but he answered after another moment.  "I haven't told her the details, but she probably figured most of it out for herself, in all honesty."

That made enough sense, but...  Kuzuryu balled his hands into fists at his side, feeling a sudden rush of ugly, dark miasma curling in his stomach as a name rose to his lips.  "And Hanamura?"

Hinata looked genuinely surprised to hear the question.  "What?"

"You heard me," Kuzuryu breathed.  "Hanamura.  Does he know?"

Kuzuryu watched Hinata's expression carefully, his fingernails gouging angry crescent-shaped marks into his palm when he saw Hinata's face drain of color.

"So he does know."

"No, wait—"  Hinata gaped at him, mouth flapping uselessly for a moment as he tried to speak.  "Kuzuryu, are you jealous of _Hanamura_?"

"I'm not jealous," he spat, even as he knew that it was a lie.  "But you did tell him."

"I— yeah."  Hinata looked completely helpless as he admitted it.

"How much of it?"

Hinata made a pained expression, and took a deep breath before he answered.  "I told him everything."

" _Everything._ "

"He knows just about as much as Nanami does," Hinata admitted with a long-suffering sigh.  "But Kuzuryu, it's not—"

"What the _fuck_ , Hinata?!"  Kuzuryu cut him off before he could try to explain.  He wasn't in the fucking mood for hearing excuses.  "It's one thing for Nanami to know, but you'll tell _Hanamura_ when you won't even tell _me_?!"

"Kuzuryu, calm down."  Hinata grabbed his wrist, gazing into Kuzuryu's eyes with a serious expression.  "Look, I can't tell you precisely why that is, but it's not—"

"The _fuck_ you can't!"  Kuzuryu shook off his hand, taking a step back.  "What am I to you then, huh?  Because apparently you trust _Teruteru fucking Hanamura_ more than you trust _me_!"

Hinata's expression hardened.  "So you have no intention of hearing what I have to say."

"Not when all you have are shitty excuses!"

Hinata sighed, then looked to the side.  "Fine.  Then just... go home, Kuzuryu."  He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a few steps back toward the koban.  "I think we both need to take some time to cool down.  So, just... I'll see you later.  Bye."

Kuzuryu watched, fuming, as Hinata retreated into the station.  Upon hearing the _click_ of the door being shut, Kuzuryu turned and kicked the bicycle rack with an irritated growl.  It made a satisfying clanging sound as it was jostled, but beyond that all it really got him was a pounding soreness in his foot.

As he skulked away, he glanced around, hoping that Peko hadn't been witness to all that went down.

He didn't feel ready to admit that she was right.

* * *

_> If you want to cancel the trip I completely understand, but I want you to know that that's not what I'm hoping for.  I'd still like to spend the weekend with you if you're okay with that._

That was the text Hinata had sent a few hours after their argument, but aside from that Kuzuryu didn't hear from him at all that day, going into the next.  Not that Kuzuryu made much of an effort to reach out to him, either.  If anything, Hinata's text had made him even less inclined to talk to the cop; its tone was too passive, too cowardly, yet carefully dancing around the concept of offering an apology.

He had sent back a curt message stating that he hadn't canceled the reservations _yet_ , then shoved the matter to the back of his mind and busied himself with running errands in Hachioji for his dad.  He was still in a horrible mood, of course, but at least it gave him something else to think about.

Dropping into his favorite cafe for some hot chocolate, he had thought, would be an opportunity for him to wind down and relax.

He did not expect the voice that called out to him as he walked away from the register with his drink.

"Oh, there you are.  Kuzuryu-kun!"

Kuzuryu stopped in his tracks and turned in the direction of the voice, and was none too happy to see Nanami in the corner of the cafe, waving him down.  He had half a mind to keep moving and make his retreat as she packed her laptop into her backpack, but for some reason he stayed rooted to his spot.  He made sure to glower as darkly as he could as she approached, though.

"I was hoping I'd run into you here," she said when she caught up to him, apparently completely unaffected by his glare.

"Uh-huh."  He took a sip of his cocoa, eyeing her carefully.  "And how did you know where to find me?"

"Hinata-kun said that you liked this coffee shop."  She tipped her head to the side, offering a cautious smile.  "It really is a nice place!  I was able to get a lot of work done on this project while I waited."

Kuzuryu huffed, moving to leave the cafe.  He really should have gone somewhere else.

Nanami didn't take the hint, or chose not to take the hint, because she followed after him into the cold air outside.  "So, I wanted to talk to you..."

"Too bad, because the feeling isn't mutual."

"Please, could you at least hear me out?"  She fell into step beside him.  "I'm sorry for throwing a wrench into your relationship with him, that's certainly not what I meant to do.  Hinata-kun is really torn up about this and I hate to see him this way."

"Well maybe he should have thought about that before keeping shit from me," Kuzuryu spat back.

"Please try not to be too angry at Hinata-kun about this," Nanami said as she continued to follow after him.  "It's not something that's easy for him to talk about in general, and on top of that, well..."  She trailed off in thought, and Kuzuryu watched her warily from the corner of his eye.  She was silent for long enough that he was beginning to think she wouldn't continue at all, but finally she looked back at him and spoke again.  "Hinata-kun is still grappling with the idea of having someone so close to him, someone he cares about so much that he knows that he _has_ to tell them everything.  That's what I think, at least."

Kuzuryu scoffed and looked away, knowing that his cheeks were turning a bit pink despite his best efforts.  "That's pretty fuckin' rich coming from his ex-girlfriend."

"Hold on, Kuzuryu-kun."  Nanami stepped in front of him and held up a hand, effectively stopping Kuzuryu in his tracks.  He glowered at her, but she seemed unaffected.  "I think you're misunderstanding something."

"And what is there to misunderstand here?"  He gripped his cup of cocoa tightly and had to suppress the urge to throw it at something.  Maybe Nanami.  But no, that wouldn't help matters, and besides, if he were to rank the people he was currently angry at, she only came in at third place.  "Don't you try telling me that you and Hinata never went out, because he told me you did."

Nanami tilted her head to the side, her hair bobbing against her cheek with the motion.  "No, it's true that I was Hinata-kun's first relationship.  But Kuzuryu-kun..."  She met his gaze directly, eyes serious.  "You're his first love.  I think."

"His firs—"  The weight of the words hit Kuzuryu before he could finish repeating them, and all at once his face felt as if it had burst into flames, all the way up to the tips of his ears.  "Wh— but that's—"  He shook his head furiously, both in disbelief and in a vain attempt to will the blush away.  "What the hell does that say about you, then?!"

Nanami blinked.  "Me?  Well..."  She tilted her head in thought again.  "...it was high school infatuation, maybe?  It was that age when kids start to think it's weird to be _just_ friends with the opposite sex, so they convince themselves it's supposed to be something more.  But it wasn't.  Not for us."  Nanami studied Kuzuryu's expression carefully.  "So, no.  Hinata-kun's first love wasn't me.  It's you."

Kuzuryu's grip tightened further around the cocoa, and he fumbled briefly when the lid popped off the cup.  Was that actually true?  The whole misguided teenager thing... made sense, really.  Kuzuryu, at that age, had thought he'd end up marrying Peko, though he hadn't done anything to act on it.  So Hinata's current relationship with him...

A hand rested upon his arm.  "Kuzuryu-kun..."

"Don't touch me!" he snapped, jerking his arm away.  His emotions were a confused, frantic blur, every nerve ending on fire, and it seemed as if everything inside him would come spilling out for the world to see if Nanami so much as touched him, even through the thick winter coat.

Nanami seemed unperturbed by his outburst and calmly took a step back.  After a moment of contemplation, she spoke again.  "Kuzuryu-kun, why is Hinata-kun spending his birthday with you?"

Kuzuryu furrowed his brows.  "Why the hell shouldn't he?" he spat.  "Are you trying to fucking challenge me?!"

"No.  But it's an important point for you to consider."  Nanami held up two fingers.  "There are two answers to the question.  Both are significant, and both are something you want to hear.  From Hinata-kun, not from me," she quickly amended, shutting Kuzuryu up before he could demand it of her.  "Can you figure out either of them?"

No, he couldn't.  Between his bewilderment over everything Nanami had said and his general frustration over his fight with Hinata, he couldn't even begin to piece together the puzzle.  "Do you make a habit of talking in riddles like this?" he said instead.

"Hmm..."  Nanami made a show of giving the question serious thought.  "I don't know.  I suppose I do.  Do you think it's a riddle that's beyond your capabilities to figure out, though?"

Kuzuryu ground his teeth in irritation.  "If that's all you have to say, then I'm leaving."  He started walking away, but raised a casual hand in a wave.  "Don't follow me, either, if you know what's good for you.  Hinata would tell you the same if you asked him."

She didn't immediately respond, so Kuzuryu assumed that that was the end of it, but then she called out to him one last time.  "Oh, wait a moment!"

He didn't want to wait, but he found himself stopping and turning back towards her anyway.  "What is it now?"

She trotted up to him and stopped at his side, offering a genuine smile.  "Before you go, I just have one more thing to ask of you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone asks, no, Nanami's dad in this AU is not Chihiro. He's just a random nameless OC haha.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year, everyone! And happy birthday, Hinata! I'm just barely finishing this on time omg I might polish it up a little bit more later but for now yEAH
> 
> Today also marks one year since I started posting this fanfic! I'm so, so grateful for all the lovely comments and support I've gotten over the past year...! Thank you so much to all of you, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story, because I'm gonna keep writing it! :D

Kuzuryu had never thought that sitting next to a lover, bodies flush against each other, would ever be uncomfortable, or awkward, or irritating, or any other negative adjective.

Of course, the circumstances were different when the proximity was due to taking public transit on New Year's Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year, and when he wasn't actually _speaking_ with said lover.

But in a way, the opposite was even worse.  For the second leg of the trip they transferred to an express line with reserved seating, and in all his pre-argument wisdom Kuzuryu had booked them a private partitioned compartment.

It took barely an hour to arrive at their final stop in Hakone, but the oppressive atmosphere in their quiet little room made it seem to stretch on forever.

With nothing better to do with his time, Kuzuryu just stared out the window, watching the buildings and winter-barren trees pass them by.  The view might have been a little more interesting if it weren't for the light fog blurring the distance; he could only just make out the vague outline of Mount Fuji to the west.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hinata similarly staring blankly out the window, and Kuzuryu half wanted to try making some sort of small talk—just _something_ to fill the awkward silence between them—but he had no idea what to say.  It had been three days since their fight, and they had barely spoken a word to each other since.  It was almost laughable, really, that they were taking a trip together with the state their relationship was in.  For some reason, though, Kuzuryu had felt like calling it off would have been the wrong move.  He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but...

_"Why is Hinata-kun spending his birthday with you?"_

He had yet to find an answer to that question, but the fact that Nanami would ask it in the first place had to mean something.  It made him feel like canceling their trip might do some sort of irreparable damage to their relationship—and even as pissed as he was, Kuzuryu didn't want that.

Not that he exactly wanted to apologize either, though.  He was only just starting to accept that maybe— _maybe_ —the circumstances might warrant it, but he knew his stubbornness would keep him from caving in for at least another few days.

So it all added up to an awkward situation all around, and even as they arrived in Hakone and took a cab to the inn, very few words were exchanged between them.

It continued like that for _hours_.

It was absolutely maddening, and Kuzuryu found himself spending most of the evening in the recreation room, throwing darts to vent his frustration.  The stupid trip was going to shit, and it was clear whenever he looked at Hinata that he shared that opinion.  The short-term solution to the gut-wrenching guilt he felt over that was to hide away and not even look at his boyfriend, but he knew that in the long term, the only way to fix it was to _talk things out_.

It kind of made him want to throw up.

After what felt like hours of throwing darts, Kuzuryu saw Hinata enter the room from his peripheral vision.  He grit his teeth as the cop approached and channeled all his irritation into his next throw, relishing in the satisfying _thunk_ against the cork target.

Three darts later, Hinata finally broke his silence and spoke up.  "Hey, Kuzuryu..."

Kuzuryu frowned and tossed another dart.  "What?" he said shortly.

Hinata didn't answer; it seemed from his expression that he was debating how best to continue, but Kuzuryu found that he didn't have the patience for that.  If Hinata didn't have the resolve to immediately say what was on his mind, what was the point?

Kuzuryu threw the last of his darts and, rather than fetching them from the target, he turned to leave the room.  "Whatever," he grumbled.  "You can do what you want, but I'm going to the bath."

He was under no delusions that the hot springs would wash away his frustrations or anything, but maybe he thought it would be a little more relaxing than it was.  Instead, Kuzuryu found it hard to stay still, especially when Hinata followed after him a few minutes later, sitting himself an infuriatingly respectable distance away.

What good was soaking in water doing them?

He left the spring soon after, quickly toweling himself off before wrapping himself in one of the inn's yukatas to shield him from the cold.  Retreating to their room, Kuzuryu huddled at the kotatsu and turned on the TV.  He stared resolutely at the screen without really seeing what was playing.  Some sort of idol group tearfully reuniting with a sempai that had graduated from the talent agency years ago or something, he didn't really give a shit.

He didn't look up when Hinata entered the room, but he could see from the corner of his eye that he had stopped just inside the door, fiddling with the towel around draped over his shoulders awkwardly.

Kuzuryu was determined not to say anything, even as Hinata made no move to leave his position for several minutes, and as proof of that determination he plucked an orange from the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table and busied himself with peeling it.  If Hinata wanted his attention, he'd have to do more than just stand around and do fuckall like a dumbass.

He finally heard Hinata's footfalls against the tatami, but he kept his eyes trained on the television until suddenly the power switched off.

Kuzuryu paused, an orange segment halfway to his mouth.  "I was watching that," he said without turning his gaze.

"You were not, and we both know it."

Kuzuryu frowned, then popped the orange piece in his mouth.  "Whatever," he muttered around bites.

There was a shuffling of fabric as Hinata moved to sit down.  "Look, Kuzuryu..."

Kuzuryu nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Hinata's knee brush against his own, and finally he turned to look at the other man sitting right at his side.  "I'm sitting here!" he exclaimed.

"I want to sit next to you."

"Then sit on _that_ side of the table!"

"But I want to sit here."

Kuzuryu huffed, then shifted to stand up.  "Fine, I'll move to another side, then."

"Kuzuryu, wait."  Hinata's hand landed on top of his, stopping him from moving, and Kuzuryu reluctantly turned to meet Hinata's gaze.  His olive eyes were pleading, and Kuzuryu couldn't find it in him to pull away.  "Please, let me talk."

Kuzuryu stayed still for a moment, considering, before finally sighing and settling back in his spot.  " _Now_ you want to talk?" he groused, and went back to peeling apart his orange.  His elbow kept bumping into Hinata's; the table really wasn't meant for two grown men to be sitting on the same side.

"Well, you see..."  Hinata rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.  "It's almost the new year, you know?  I'd like to start it on a good foot, so... I want to clear the air, so to speak."

Kuzuryu stilled.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to," Hinata assured him.  "Don't do anything you don't want to do.  But at the very least..."  He paused, taking a deep breath.  "I want you to know about me.  So will you listen?"

Silence fell between them.  After a moment, Kuzuryu spoke up.  "Well, go on," he urged.

Hinata sighed, and Kuzuryu felt him relax a bit against his side.  He hadn't even realized he was particularly tense.  "Well, where to start... Like Nanami mentioned, I was raised by my mom.  My dad was never in the picture, so it was just the two of us."

Kuzuryu made a noise in his throat to indicate that he was listening.  "Don't see why that was such a big deal that you had to keep it hidden."

"It's not that I was keeping it hidden, but it's just... it was the accumulation of everything that's hard to talk about."  He paused, then reached over to give Kuzuryu's hand a nudge.  "Can I have a piece?"

Kuzuryu peered up at him, but handed over a segment of the orange.  "So do you plan on telling me what that 'everything' is?"

Hinata hummed an affirmative sound as he swallowed the orange.  "Yeah.  So... raising me by herself, it was hard to make ends meet.  I didn't really fully understand when I was little, but she worked long and hard, and she managed to provide for me well enough.  It wore her down eventually, though."

Kuzuryu pushed away the orange rind, focusing on Hinata's words fully.  "Overworked herself?"

"Yeah."  Hinata smiled softly, but it didn't reach his eyes.  "When I went on to college, I wanted to get myself a good job and be able to tend for her finally, so she wouldn't have to keep pushing herself, but..."  He sighed, then cradled his face in his hands, obscuring his expression.  "She passed away around the end of my second year of college.  I wasn't even able to do that for her."

Kuzuryu was silent.  He wasn't really sure what to say; he knew from experience that sometimes the best option was just saying nothing at all.  So without a word, he reached over and placed his hand on Hinata's.

He saw Hinata give a small smile, and felt him reposition their hands to thread together more naturally before giving a gentle squeeze.  "It wasn't completely unexpected," he continued.  "Her health had been deteriorating over the years, so I kind of saw it coming.  But still, it was..."  With his free hand, he lifted his fingers to rest by his eyes.  "It was hard.  On top of having to cope with losing her, I was also the one who had to take care of her burial arrangements, inheritance, and all that.  I was all she had.  It was... a lot to deal with.  And I can't really say I managed well.  My studies suffered, and they never really recovered."

Kuzuryu looked up at Hinata, into those olive eyes marred with stress lines.  He had mentioned before that they had appeared during college... Honestly, Kuzuryu liked the way they looked.  It would probably be pretty insensitive to mention that now, though.

"I only barely managed to graduate in the end," Hinata continued with a humorless laugh.  "There was no way I was going to be accepted into my career choice, so I just ended up enrolling in the police academy instead, figuring I'd try to become a detective."  He paused for a moment, rubbing a thumb against the top of Kuzuryu's hand.  "After saying all that, it seems so silly that I kept quiet about it, but it's just... hard to even think back on, let alone put it into words."

"Mm," Kuzuryu answered, looking down at their joined hands.  "It's hard to talk about losing someone close to you."

A silence fell between them, thick with words that Kuzuryu left unsaid.  After a moment's hesitation, he decided he might as well vocalize them.

"My sister died.  You probably figured out that much on your own."

Out of the corner of his eye Kuzuryu saw Hinata nod silently.

"She was a tough thing, you know?  Ruthless, but charming enough to manipulate others according to her whims."  Kuzuryu lifted his mouth into a small smile, thinking back on his little sister.  "She was... well-liked.  I've always been the true successor to the family, but there was a faction that wanted Natsumi to take the reins instead.  They thought I was too soft-hearted, too kind to lead a yakuza clan."

At his side, Hinata shifted slightly, pulling Kuzuryu closer and placing a soft kiss at his temple.  Flushing, Kuzuryu waved him off, though he didn't hate the show of affection.

"Anyway," Kuzuryu continued said, "it turned into this big protest between the members who wanted me to lead and those who wanted Natsumi.  Some of the arguments got really heated, and there was even some bloodshed and traded blows.  Even some of our allied clans in the area had their own opinions on who should lead..."

He paused, thinking about what he knew he had to explain next.  He grit his teeth and squeezed Hinata's hand in his own, steeling himself for what would be the hardest part of the story to retell.

After taking a deep breath, he continued.  "About a year before I was supposed to be officially recognized as the next leader, some dumb kids from one of those allied clans loyal to me kidnapped her.  Wanted to hold her hostage, returning her on the condition that my dad kept me as the heir, or some harebrained scheme like that.  It wasn't very well thought-out... or executed."  He paused, then pushed ahead with the rest.  "They tried to knock her out, but one of them hit her in a bad spot... and she was gone."

He felt Hinata reach an arm around, pulling him close.

"I mean, pretty pathetic, right?"  Kuzuryu forced out a hollow laugh.  "Killed by some dipshit who couldn't handle a baseball bat.  She should have known better than to resist so much in a hostage situation, yeah?  She was a firecracker, and look where it got her."

When Hinata spoke, it was in a low voice, and Kuzuryu could feel the vibrations in his chest from where they touched.  "You know that wasn't your fault, right?"

Kuzuryu scoffed.  "Of course it wasn't.  They were dumbasses, every one of them involved in the incident, even Natsumi.  Nothing to do with me."

"Kuzuryu..."

He fell silent, gritting his teeth together.  He... what was he hiding his true feelings for?  "...Can I really say it wasn't my fault, though?  If I had been stronger, more fierce like Natsumi, no one would have complained.  I could have put a stop to it all at any point just by putting my foot down and showing some backbone, if I had been just a little more commanding.  But I didn't.  And now my little sister is dead."

Hinata lifted his hand to stroke Kuzuryu's cheek, and for the first time since he started talking, Kuzuryu looked up into his eyes.  They were so sad, and it made Kuzuryu's heart ache.  "Maybe some of that could be true," Hinata said, tracing his fingers softly across Kuzuryu's jawbone and through his hair, "but I think you're fine just the way you are.  Don't hate yourself for your faults... I definitely don't."

Kuzuryu averted his gaze.  "Don't want your fucking pity."

"It's not pity," Hinata insisted.  "It's just the truth."

Kuzuryu could feel his cheeks burning, and he nuzzled into Hinata's hand to try and hide it.

"So what happened after that?  There still seem to be members of your clan who hate you..."

"What, you noticed that?"  Kuzuryu huffed, rolling his eyes.  " _Those_ guys I can't stand.  Not because they don't support me, but because they don't have the balls to do anything about it."  He glanced up at Hinata, studying his reaction.  "The guys who left the clan in protest and accepted the consequences of doing so?  That shit's respectable.  Staying around in a clan whose top brass you hate, just because you're afraid of losing a finger or two?  Give me a break."

Hinata made a face like he had stumbled upon an unpleasant truth and was just realizing the gravity of the situation.  "And what happened to your sister's kidnappers?"

Kuzuryu let his gaze harden.  "The fuck do you _think_ would happen if you kill a Godfather's kid?"

Hinata shivered and let his hand drop from Kuzuryu's face, but he ended up tracing the sleeve of Kuzuryu's yukata and resting at his wrist, as if realizing that he was pulling away and deciding against it at the last moment.

"So, anyway."  Kuzuryu leaned back, continuing his story.  "In the end, we still have some members of the clan that are opposed to me taking place as the family's head, and who knows what they're planning to do.  They're loyal to my dad, but for all I know they could be looking for the opportunity to off me and get one of their own subordinates to take my place."  He rubbed at his head, which was still tingling from the warmth of Hinata's fingers.  "I think that's a big part of why Peko's so overprotective.  I'm not even safe in my own house, fuck."

Hinata screwed his brows in thought.  "Is there some way to fix that?"

"Dad's been sending me on jobs to try and get me to show my competence as a leader, try to appeal to those assholes."  Kuzuryu waved a hand dismissively.  "Expanding our territory, spearheading deals, and especially recruiting new guys that thoroughly trust me."

"Hmm..."  Hinata made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat, then placed another gentle kiss at Kuzuryu's temple.

"You know, I wasn't gonna say anything, but..."

Hinata pulled back slightly, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.  "Yeah?"

"What's with this sweet-ass shit?" Kuzuryu huffed, feeling his cheeks go warm.  "You're gonna give me cavities, fuck."

Hinata laughed.  "I thought you liked sweet things."

"Give me a break."  Kuzuryu glared up at him and let his hand trace up along the collar of Hinata's yukata, stopping to rest at the nape of his neck before exerting just enough pressure to pull him closer.  "We were fighting for days, I think we both deserve something a little more substantial at this point."

Something flickered in Hinata's eyes, and he obediently let Kuzuryu guide him in.  "Yeah?" he said, his breath ghosting across the yakuza's lips.

Kuzuryu didn't answer in words; he was done with talking.  Instead, he leaned upward to meet Hinata's lips in a kiss, desperate for the affection.  Hinata, for his part, eagerly reciprocated, nipping gently at Kuzuryu's lower lip before moving to trail kisses along his jawline.

Kuzuryu let his breath out in a huff.  It wasn't enough, and he gripped the fabric of Hinata's yukata as he urged him closer, aching for more contact.  He hummed appreciatively when Hinata dipped his head to kiss along the column of his neck, and he let his head fall back to allow him better access.  "Oh, _fuck_ me," he moaned.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that."

Kuzuryu blinked, his hands falling slack upon Hinata's shoulders, and he craned his head downwards to stare at the other man in disbelief.  Hinata hovered awkwardly at the base of Kuzuryu's neck, his face rapidly turning beet red as his own words sank in, and all Kuzuryu could do was stare.

_Holy fuck, he really did just say that._

Hinata seemed to be at a loss of what to do, visibly uncomfortable under Kuzuryu's gaze and blushing to the tips of his ears.  "I—" He began to back off, pulling the lapels of Kuzuryu's yukata back together.  "I didn't—"

Whatever he was about to say was abruptly cut off by a peal of laughter, and it took Kuzuryu a second to realize that it was his own.  He laughed and laughed, and through the hysteria he managed to grab Hinata's arm to pull them back together, hiding his own burning face against Hinata's shoulder.  Before long, Hinata was laughing as well, and for a while they just sat in an entangled embrace and laughed until their cheeks hurt and they were short of breath.

Kuzuryu felt lighter than he had in days—or perhaps even years.

When the laughter finally died down, they laid against each other, breath ragged and coming in bursts.  Kuzuryu pulled himself up from where he had ended up nestled against Hinata's chest and placed a hand against the brunet's cheek, meeting Hinata's burning gaze with his own.  "You dork," he breathed, still grinning wide enough to split his face in two.  "That wasn't sexy at all."

"Sorry," Hinata responded, but between the gleam in his eyes and the smile on his face, he didn't look sorry at all.

Not that Kuzuryu really gave a shit.

Kuzuryu let his hand wander from Hinata's cheek towards the back of his neck, raking fingers through the spiky brown locks before pulling him in for a kiss, hot and breathless and just a little bit giddy.

He wasn't letting go of this feeling for a single instant that night, that was for sure.

* * *

Kuzuryu was drawn from sleep slowly, almost reluctantly.  His limbs felt heavy with an exhaustion unlike any he had experienced before, and as he tried to sit up experimentally, his body ached in protest.  He grimaced against the unfamiliar sensations, but when he looked down at Hinata still asleep at his side, bare and beautiful and _all his_ , his body flooded with a warmth much like they had shared the night before.

Carefully, he laid back down on the futon, curling against Hinata's side and sighing contentedly at the feel of skin against skin.

He wasn't _snuggling_ or anything, just preserving heat.  Still, he didn't want Hinata to wake up and see and get the wrong idea or some shit like that.  Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu didn't _snuggle_.

He laid there silently, listening to Hinata's slow, steady breaths as the gray morning light gradually brightened the room.  It was calm, and comfortable, and Kuzuryu felt his eyelids drooping as he began to drift off to sleep again.

"Um..."

Kuzuryu's eyes snapped open and he jumped back in surprise, putting a good foot of space between them and wincing as he felt a shot of pain in his hips.  How long had Hinata been awake?!  His cheeks burned under the scrutiny of Hinata's sleepy gaze and he found himself pulling the comforter up to cover his exposed front.

Hinata's only response to the sudden display of modesty was a confused eyebrow quirk.  He then chuckled softly and extended an arm, silently inviting Kuzuryu back into his embrace.  Kuzuryu hesitated for just a moment before obliging, letting himself be pulled flush against Hinata's body like he had always meant to be there.

 _Being_ cuddled was a different matter entirely.  And if Kuzuryu's arm curled around Hinata's waist in turn, well, that was just a matter of comfort, nothing more.

"A lawyer, by the way."

The words were little more than a puff of breath against Kuzuryu's ear, and it took him a moment to make sense of the syllables that seemed so meaningless and unwelcome in their little world.  Even then, they were so sudden and out of context that Kuzuryu couldn't help but twist his face in confusion as he looked up at Hinata.  "What?"

"You've asked before, but I forgot to mention it last night."  Hinata's eyes were half-lidded as he absently traced a finger along a pale stripe on the smaller man's freckled shoulder.  Kuzuryu fisted his hand against the small of Hinata's back; Hinata had spent the night before tracing Kuzuryu's scars, with fingers, lips, and tongue, and the memory of it made him shiver.  "I wanted to be a defense lawyer."

 _A lawyer..._ Kuzuryu took a deep breath through his nose, trying to steel his thoughts.  What the fuck was Hinata doing, making him think of lewd shit while talking about something important?  In retaliation, he raised his own fingertips to Hinata's skin, ghosting over the marks he had left on Hinata's chest, collarbone, and shoulder.  "So why didn't you?"

"How could I?"  Hinata had the decency to finally pull his hand back, settling his arm around Kuzuryu's shoulders.  "Even if I had the grades to get into a good law school—and I didn't—there's no way I would have had the momentum to pass the bar.  It's not pessimism, just being realistic.  Why set myself up to fail?"

"Hmm."  Kuzuryu let his eyes drift closed as he considered those words.  "You would have made a shitty lawyer, anyway."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean it."  He tilted his head to look up at Hinata.  "You think you'd be able to defend any client, regardless of whether they were actually guilty or not?  When you're all about the pursuit of truth rather than justice?  Lawyers are corrupt fucks who fight for a client's innocence for the sake of their paycheck.  You can't just pick and choose who you defend, Hinata, and you can't decide to turn against your guilty clients, either.  That's career suicide.  That's why you'd make a shitty lawyer."

Hinata let his gaze wander, clearly unsure of how to react in the face of such harsh truth.  "Ah."

"...It's also why you'd make a great lawyer."

Kuzuryu watched as Hinata's cheeks flushed red, and the arms around his shoulders tightened to pull him into a firm hug.  "Thanks," he muttered into the crook of Kuzuryu's shoulder.

Kuzuruy's breath stuttered in his lungs as he relaxed into the embrace.  "Yeah," he said.  He turned to look at Hinata, puzzled when he couldn't quite identify the expression he wore.  He didn't look quite as happy as he expected, and Kuzuryu raised his fingertips to trace the worried lines between his eyebrows.  Had that not been the right thing to say?  What _would_ be the right thing to say?

He wasn't really sure.  He couldn't think of anything else to say on the matter that might ease the tension in Hinata's expression.

At a loss, he fell back on the only other words that seemed to be somewhat appropriate.  "Also, happy birthday."

That, at least, was enough for Hinata let himself relax into a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it...! I managed to mostly keep to my crazy update schedule for this week! Haha
> 
> I'm going to wrap up this mini-arc with one more chapter, but I'm not sure when that will go up! I said before that it would hopefully be this month, but the crazy stuff at my job that I mentioned in the last chapter's notes will, ah... have lasting repercussions, I guess, and I'm not sure how that will affect the free time I have to write. We'll just have to see!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *chucks copy of V3 across the room* BREAK MY HEART WHY DON'T YOU
> 
> I'll cheer myself up by finally writing more kuzuhina.
> 
> (Please no V3 spoilers in the reviews/comments, I'm still only partway through the game.)
> 
> Also, this may or may not be relevant to anything, but "hinata" essentially means "sunshine."

"Are you sure you're okay to go for a walk?"

Kuzuryu tried not to huff in exasperation as he buttoned up his shirt.  It had been just mildly irritating, earlier in the morning, how blissfully unaware Hinata had been of the ache in his joints, but after finally figuring it out he started fretting _endlessly_.  It was getting annoying, and above all, Kuzuryu didn't need to be coddled; the slight discomfort in his hips was far from the worst pain he had ever experienced.

Also, it was maybe just a _little_ embarrassing that Hinata kept drawing attention to it.  Just a bit.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, straightening his collar before shrugging into his vest.  "You said you wanted to go to the shrine, right?  So let's go."

Hinata wasn't convinced.  "We still have another day here, though.  We could go tomorrow instead, and spend today resting..."

"We're not wasting your birthday in this fucking room, Hinata."  Kuzuryu padded across the floor in search of his scarf, having tossed it somewhere in a blind rage the day before.  "I'm fine.  It's really not that big of a deal.  If it worries you that much, I'll top next time so you can see for yourself."

"Okay.  I'm sorry."

Kuzuryu spun around towards Hinata—who was too busy worrying about stupid stuff that he was still only halfway through buttoning his shirt, the dumbass—and quickly strode back over to him.  He frowned up at Hinata, then raised a hand and poked a finger squarely in the center of his forehead.  The cop blinked owlishly in surprise.  "I'm not looking for an apology, you idiot," Kuzuryu said softly.  "I'm pretty sure you did nothing wrong."

Hinata stared down at Kuzuryu for a moment longer, then reached out to pull him into a hug.  "Just tell me if you're in pain, all right?"

The phrasing told Kuzuryu that Hinata wasn't just referring to the current situation; he was calling back to their discussion the night before.  "Same to you," he countered, lightly punching Hinata in the shoulder before relaxing into the embrace.  "This isn't pain, though.  Just... weirdness."

"Weirdness," Hinata repeated, a breathy chuckle tickling at Kuzuryu's ear.  "All right, then."

They stood silently for a few moments, comfortable in each other's arms, and Kuzuryu found himself thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take Hinata's offer to just stay there for the rest of the day, out of sight from all the rest of the world.  Opportunities to be alone with each other would be few and far between once they returned home, after all.  Speaking of which... Kuzuryu peered up at Hinata, grinning slyly.  "You know, just now, you didn't object to me topping."

"Uh..."  Hinata averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.  "I mean, it doesn't really matter to me, I guess?  As long as I'm with you."

Kuzuryu frowned and pushed the cop away.  "Okay, you can apologize for _that_ ," he said, even as he felt his cheeks heating up.  "Being all mushy like that... you're gonna make me sick, fuck."

Hinata laughed, then bent forward and placed a kiss on top of Kuzuryu's head.  "I'm sorry, then.  Should we get going?"

"Says the guy who still hasn't finished buttoning his shirt.  Hurry up or I'm leaving without you."  Having located his scarf, Kuzuryu put it on, if only to help obscure his reddening face.  It was... annoying how affectionate Hinata could get.

Right.  Annoying.

But maybe he didn't mind _that_ much.

* * *

Hakone Shrine was crowded, but that was only to be expected on New Year's Day.   It was a one hour wait to get to the main temple, the queue of visitors spilling into the tree-lined path to the shrine, but the time passed quickly enough as Kuzuryu and Hinata engaged in light, inconsequential conversation, sharing body heat through their joined hands.

And for the first time in days, Kuzuryu found himself with enough peace of mind to really consider the question that he had been putting off.

_"Why is Hinata-kun spending his birthday with you?"_

When Nanami had asked it, her voice had been devoid of inflection, giving Kuzuryu no clues as to which part of the question he should focus on.  It was part of the reason he had made close to no headway on figuring out the riddle, and he was pretty damn sure Nanami had made it that way on purpose.

But as he and Hinata walked side-by-side towards the shrine, surrounded on all sides by countless other New Year visitors, he realized that he was finally arriving at an answer—not all at once in a flash of inspiration, but gradually, as if it were becoming clearer with each leisurely step.

They crossed the red torii gates into the main temple plaza, and everywhere he looked, there were groups of friends, other couples—and families.  Parents holding hands with their children so they wouldn't get lost in the crowd, siblings comparing and arguing over New Year fortunes, mothers helping their young children sip cups of hot amazake...  It shouldn't be surprising, of course; New Year was an important holiday, and it only made sense to spend it with family.

So it seemed painfully obvious, as they stepped away from the altar after paying their respects, when Kuzuryu realized that the question hadn't been, "why is Hinata spending his birthday with you?"

It was, "why is he _not_ spending the New Year with his family?"

The answer was that Hinata didn't have a family to spend it with.

Kuzuryu squeezed Hinata's hand in his own when he made the connection, mirroring the constricting feeling in his chest.  Hinata didn't have a family?  Was that really true?  No, he had to have extended family somewhere...

...Except that Hinata had said that he was all his mom had had.  So didn't that make the reverse true as well?

Kuzuryu felt his hand being squeezed in return, and when he looked up, Hinata was smiling softly down at him.  "Hey, are you all right?"

Kuzuryu opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, unsure of what he even wanted to say.  What was he _supposed_ to say in the face of such knowledge?  "Next year," he started, haltingly, "you can come spend New Year at my place.  With my family."

Hinata chuckled and looked forward again as they made their way down the temple stairs, towards the lake.  "I'm not sure if I should take that as a threat or not."

"Of course you shouldn't, dumbass!"  Kuzuryu shoved his shoulder against Hinata's in retaliation.  "The fuck are you trying to imply, huh?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Hinata laughed, using his free hand to rub at where the yakuza had bumped him.  "I'm kidding.  I'm, well..."  Hinata's mirth mellowed into a softer smile.  "I appreciate it.  Thanks, Kuzuryu."

Kuzuryu gazed up at Hinata's expression, and he found himself wishing he could do more, wishing he could offer more.  "Hell, you could even come to my place once we get back," he added.  "There are still a few more days before the holidays end, so..."

"Thanks," Hinata cut in, "but I have to go back to work on the third.  Then in the evening I promised Nanami I'd go over for cake and video games before she has to leave again."  Kuzuryu tried not to let his dissatisfaction show at the mention of the girl's name, but he knew he must have failed when Hinata chuckled lightly.  "Don't make that face," he said.  "She's my best friend, you know that."

Kuzuryu huffed, his breath coming out as white mist.  "Whatever," he said.  "I don't really care.  At least it's not Hanamura; _that_ guy really pisses me off.  Was even saying shit to me to suggest that _he_ knew about your sexual appetite."

Hinata's footfalls slowed, prompting Kuzuryu to adjust his pace accordingly before their fingers could slip apart.  "He said that to you?" he asked, voice strained.

"Yeah."  Kuzuryu scoffed.  "Obviously just trying to rile me up with his bullshit.  I don't get why you even hang around him."

Hinata didn't immediately respond, but stopped in his tracks and removed his hand from Kuzuryu's.  Just as Kuzuryu turned to protest the loss of contact, the cop clapped his hands together in front of himself, bowing his head as if begging for forgiveness.  "Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you something," Hinata said.  Allowing for only the briefest pause, he quickly continued in a single breath, "There was one time when I accidentally almost slept with Hanamura."

Kuzuryu blinked at him dumbly, not fully processing what he had said; that was a combination of words that should have never been collected into a single sentence, and Kuzuryu was having trouble piecing them back together in his mind, like beads that had fallen off of a string.  "What."

"It was about two years ago," Hinata offered as explanation.  "I'm sorry.  I was really upset, and really drunk, and really desperate for affection."

Kuzuryu fought to form words through the bewilderment and irrational jealousy he felt.  "You— what?  With _him_?!"  He blinked up at Hinata incredulously, who still hadn't raised his head.  Taking a deep breath, he tried to choose his words carefully, knowing that if he let his emotions take charge he risked rekindling the fight that they had only just resolved.  "So you were in a bad place and needed someone, I get that, but of all people you went to fucking _Hanamura_?!"

"That's about the reaction I expected," Hinata sighed, lowering his hands and raising his gaze again, a pained expression on his face.  "What exactly do you want me to say?  There's not much I can do about it now."

"An explanation for your horrible taste would be great!"

"That's not nice.  And I said I was drunk."

"So what's that bullshit you told me about Hanamura never laying a hand on a customer?!"

"That's..."  Hinata rubbed his neck uncomfortably, averting his gaze.  "Look, we both made mistakes that night, but it was mostly me.  We didn't get any further than we did _because_ Hanamura stuck to his principles... eventually."

Kuzuryu glared up at Hinata before turning and continuing towards the lake.  "What's with you and Hanamura to begin with, anyway?  You said he knew basically everything about your past, but why him?  Exactly what is he to you?"

"He's..."  Hinata paused.  "That's difficult to answer, but in a lot of ways, I guess he's the person who understands me best."

Kuzuryu balled his hands into fists as rage began to boil in the pit of his stomach.  "So do you even have any intention to let _me_ take that title from him?!"  He spun on his heel and glared up at the cop.  "Because with vague-as-fuck answers like that you're _still_ keeping shit from me!  You made me promise to tell you when _I'm_ in pain, but how can I offer you the same when you won't let me understand?!"

Hinata frowned, then took a step forward and placed his hands on the blond's shoulders.  Kuzuryu had half a mind to shake him off, but in his heart he knew he didn't want to make things worse _again_ , so he settled for seething silently as Hinata gazed down at him, his expression unreadable.

"Kuzuryu," Hinata started.  "You're right that I'm guilty of keeping things from you.  We both are."  He offered a small smile.  "I'm really happy that you want to be the person who understands me best.  I want that too.  I want you to know everything about me, and I want to know everything about you."

Kuzuryu grit his teeth in frustration.  "Then why won't you—"

"Because I can't."  Hinata squeezed Kuzuryu's shoulders just a bit tighter, his gaze hardening.  "I'll tell you anything about _me_ , but what you're asking right now is Hanamura's story to tell.  Not mine."

Kuzuryu stared at Hinata silently for a few moments, silently willing his anger away; Hinata was clearly keeping the secret out of honor, and that was to be respected.  "So you're telling me to _willingly_ talk to that asshole again."

Hinata chuckled, letting his hands trace down Kuzuryu's sleeves to lace their fingers together again.  "Yeah.  Sorry about that, but in order to know why he and I are so close, you need to hear it from him."

"Well that's just great."  Kuzuryu turned and began making his way down the staircase again, Hinata falling into step behind him.  "So, any other secret affairs I should know about?  Naegi, maybe?"

Hinata laughed.  "No."

"Kirigiri?"

"No way."

"If I ever hear you've laid a hand on Peko I'll have to castrate you with her sword."

"That would definitely be a problem."  Hinata chuckled lightly.  "But really, Kuzuryu, you're the only one that I've ever..."

They slowed to a stop on one of the landings, close enough to the bottom that they could just barely hear the trickling water from the lake through the silence that fell between them.  A few seconds passed, and when it seemed that Hinata wasn't going to be continuing his statement, Kuzuryu looked up at him curiously.

Hinata seemed contemplative, his gaze trained upwards at the canopy of cedar branches, frozen droplets clinging to the leaves glittering like diamonds in the sunlight.  Patiently, Kuzuryu watched and waited for his boyfriend to speak.

"Kuzuryu," he finally said at length, and he turned to meet his gaze, smiling softly.  "I love you."

And all of a sudden, Kuzuryu forgot how to breathe.

The sentiment itself wasn't a surprise; Hinata had clearly let him know over the past two months, in every glance, every touch, every comfortable moment shared between them.  Hinata had been spelling out his feelings slowly, bit by bit, but before long it had been clear as day.  And Kuzuryu... well, if those feelings hadn't been reciprocated, he would have pushed Hinata away long ago.

But actually hearing those emotions put into words...

Oh, wow.   _Wow._

Kuzuryu's heart felt as if it were about to burst, and he knew that his face was heating up spectacularly.  He gripped Hinata's hand in a desperate bid to anchor himself through the roiling emotions, and this time, the second answer to Nanami's riddle hit him all at once.

In lieu of a family, why was Kuzuryu the one Hinata was spending his New Year with?

Because Kuzuryu _was_ the closest thing Hinata had to a family.  Because Kuzuryu was the most important person in Hinata's life.

Because Hinata loved Kuzuryu.

"O-of course you do," Kuzuryu muttered, immediately regretting that he wasn't giving a more sincere response, but he barely trusted himself to be able to speak if he tried exposing such raw, intimate emotions.  "I mean, you better, dammit."

"Yeah."  Hinata gave Kuzuryu's hand an affectionate squeeze.  "Well, let's keep going, then."

"...Right."  Kuzuryu complied, walking at Hinata's side, his entire body feeling dizzily warm—Hinata loved him.   _Hinata loved him._ —but at the same time grappling with the sour guilt building at the back of his throat.

He hadn't been able to say it back.

Kuzuryu glanced up at Hinata, seeing his face in profile, and the cop was smiling contentedly.  He didn't seem to be upset or disappointed that Kuzuryu hadn't answered his confession in kind, but still...  Still...

It wasn't fair, was it?

Kuzuryu had shied away from letting himself feel so exposed and vulnerable, but he wasn't the only one who would feel that way.  Hinata must have felt that same uncertainty, that same fear.  And he had said it anyway.

That wasn't fair.

They reached the short stone path at the bottom of the staircase leading to the Heiwa-no-Torii on the lakeside—the Torii of Peace.  As they approached, Kuzuryu took a deep breath, let himself be calmed by the sound of the water, and sighed.

"Dumbass," he muttered, staring at a puddle between the rocks at his feet.  "I love you, too."

He wasn't entirely sure if he had said it loud enough for Hinata to hear over the sound of the water licking the rocky shore, but after a few seconds he managed to look back up, letting their gazes meet.

And in that moment, Hinata's smile was bright enough to put his name to shame.

* * *

_> Next time you ask me a question, maybe you should actually fucking say what you mean._

_> Oh, did you figure out both answers?  If you did, you'll know that you wouldn't have been satisfied hearing them from me._

_> Whatever.  Still pisses me off.  But now I'm the one asking you the questions, got it?_

_> Hmm, okay._

_> Why did you insist on trading contact information?  I'm not buying that you only wanted to know when I figured out your riddle._

_> Is that so hard to believe?  This marks an important turning point in Hinata-kun's personal healing, and I want to know that he's being treated right.  Never underestimate how important it is that he's opened himself up to you.  
But you're right, that wasn't the only reason.  It's maybe a bit of selfishness on my part, but it could be helpful to you too, I think._

_> Explain._

_> Well, assuming we're on the same page, you now fully understand that you're the most important person in Hinata-kun's life.  Before you came along... it was probably me, though not exactly in the same way.  Maybe also that Hanamura-kun guy._

_> Any idea what the deal is with him, by the way?_

_> No, I only met him once.  I think I can guess, but if I'm right then it's something Hanamura-kun should tell you himself.  I'm guessing Hinata-kun told you the same?_

_> Shut up.  Keep talking._

_>? Which one do you want?_

_> Just tell me what it is you're after!_

_> OK.  Well, going forward, I don't think Hinata-kun will be relying on me so much anymore.  At least, he shouldn't.  If it's something he can go to you for, then it's not my place.  But I've still known him longer than you have._

_> Are you trying to piss me off?_

_> It's not conceit, just simple facts.  Actually, there's no one in Kibougaoka who's known Hinata-kun as long as I have.  So you might sometimes find yourself in a position where you're not sure how best to deal with him or your relationship, and you might want to consult... a Hinata-kun expert?  That's what I am... I think.  So if you ever need some advice with him, and it's something you don't mind talking to me about, you already know how to reach me._

_>...You sure you're not just being too clingy with your best friend?_

_> I did say I was being a little selfish._

_> The honesty is appreciated._

_> Thanks, I think.  But ultimately, it's up to you whether or not to let me in, Kuzuryu-kun._

_>...You know, you may want to work on your negotiation methods.  I mean you're offering, what, advice?  Shit, that's not gonna get you anywhere with anyone.  You've gotta give up something more concrete than that, you know?_

_> Hmm... I'll see what I can do, then!_

_> Wait what_

* * *

Nanami didn't text again until later in the day, after Kuzuryu and Hinata returned to the inn and had a relaxing soak in the hot springs (much more satisfying than the bath the night before).  If his phone had been too far out of arm's reach he wouldn't have even bothered to check it, comfortable as he was while he and Hinata lounged around watching New Year specials on TV, but he just barely managed to grab it from the table without needing to move too far from his spot.  Which was good, because he was laying in Hinata's lap as the brunet absently stroked his hair and it felt _nice_.

When he opened the text message and saw the image attachment, he couldn't help but smirk.   _So that's what she has planned,_ he thought.

A second image followed soon after, and Kuzuryu chuckled fondly as he scrolled between the two photos.  If that was Nanami's idea of a bargaining chip... well, it wasn't a bad trade-off, honestly.  He had been intending to agree to her suggestion regardless, but he sure wasn't going to complain about the extra perks.

"What are you laughing at?"  Hinata glanced away from the TV screen long enough to shoot Kuzuryu an amused grin.

Kuzuryu hummed noncommittally before deciding there was nothing wrong with an honest answer.  "Nanami's sending me your baby pictures."

"Wait— what?  She's _what_?!"

"Don't touch my phone!" Kuzuryu said warningly, halting Hinata mid-grab.  He looked up to watch a mix of emotions cross the cop's face, finally settling on a helpless expression as his fingers flexed anxiously.

Hinata sighed and let his hands drop.  "Seriously, though?  I didn't know she even had baby pictures of me...  You sure it's me?"

"Hmm..."  A third photo arrived, and Kuzuryu took a moment to study it thoughtfully—it depicted a five-year-old boy with brown hair, dressed in hakama for Shichi-Go-San.  Set into a face chubby with baby fat were clear, olive green eyes—eyes that Kuzuryu recognized, even without the pale stress lines.  "Yeah, it's you.  Cute kid, by the way."

A light blush colored Hinata's cheeks before he returned to running his fingers through Kuzuryu's hair.  "Could you show me what she's sending you?"

"Nah.  These are my prize."

Hinata chuckled.  "A prize for what?  I don't mind she's sending them to you, but what are you two up to?  Why does she even have your contact information?"

"That's not important."  Kuzuryu began lazily composing a message to respond with when a fourth picture appeared, and his thumbs froze above the screen.  He stared at the photograph, unsure of how exactly he should be feeling about it.  He didn't even know if he should say anything to Hinata about it, but after a moment's contemplation, he decided it was best not to keep quiet.  "Your mom looked a lot like you."

Hinata's hand stilled.  Kuzuryu looked up at him, apprehensive, but Hinata's initial stony expression quickly melted into a small smile.  "It's probably more accurate to say I'm the one who looks like her," he said.

"Yeah..."  Kuzuryu studied the picture, wanting to commit the details to memory.  A young mother and her son, probably around eight years old, posing together at a summer festival, food stalls lining the street.  The woman's chestnut-colored hair was styled into a shoulder-length bob, but it didn't seem to quite want to lay in place, with strands sticking out haphazardly.  Her olive eyes, and even the shape of her smile, were an exact mirror image of her son's.

This was the woman who raised the man Kuzuryu loved.

"Wish I could have met her," Kuzuryu said softly.  "I can see where you got your good looks."

Hinata chuckled.  "I'm not the only one to take after their mom, _Fuyuhiko-chan_."

"I can't decide which part of that statement pisses me off more."

Hinata laughed openly then, prompting Kuzuryu to sit up and place his phone to the side.

Leveling Hinata with a half-hearted glare, he said, "Call me that again and you're dead.  I only let Mom call me that because she's scary as shit."

"All right, I won't."  Hinata raised both hands in surrender.  "But only if you'll show me _your_ baby pictures next time."

"Only if you don't say anything about me being _cute_ as a baby."

"But you're cute even no—"

Kuzuryu grabbed Hinata by the lapels of his yukata, cutting him off.  "You're walking on thin ice right now," he warned.

Hinata very wisely chose to say nothing more, and simply enveloped Kuzuryu in a warm hug.

* * *

"Cooking and lovemaking are in many ways very similar."  Hanamura said the words with practiced ease as he began to clean up for the night, days later.  "The passion, the love, the delicate touch... For example—"

"I don't need your fucking examples," Kuzuryu quickly cut in, starting to regret even asking the question.  His eyes darted about the pub nervously, even though he knew all the other patrons had left for the night.  Even Hinata had left two hours earlier to catch the last train, having stayed until the very last possible moment.  He had squeezed Kuzuryu's hand tightly under the counter, slowly and reluctantly letting their fingers untwine as he left.

Kuzuryu's hand still felt cold and empty.

"Just get to the point and answer the damn question," he huffed.

Hanamura made a noise of disapproval at having been rebuffed, but he obliged, continuing his explanation while putting away glassware.  "Anyway, it's a little different when you're cooking for monetary compensation.  Every dish I create has to be treated with the same care, the same level of respect.  To do otherwise would be unfair to the paying customer, and unfair to the ingredients."  He finished stashing away the glasses and turned to face Kuzuryu directly, eyes serious.  "Entering into a relationship with a customer introduces an emotional bias that threatens to throw the entire thing out of balance.  So, no.  I will never sleep with a customer."

Kuzuryu glowered darkly as he considered Hanamura's words.  "But you almost fucked Hinata once," he said accusingly.

"I— I wouldn't say it like, well—"  The stout cook took a step back, nervously wringing his hands together.  His eyes glanced from side to side before meeting Kuzuryu's glare again.  "Kuzuryu, he's all yours.  He's _been_ yours.  There's nothing to worry about."

"I don't need you to tell me that, bastard."  He crossed his arms and leaned back haughtily, though he could feel his cheeks warming slightly.  "But you two are _awfully_ fucking close and I wanna know why.  Hinata said it wasn't his business to say."

"Yes, that sounds like Hinata-kun."  Hanamura chuckled and leaned against the counter.  "I take it he told you about his mother?"

Kuzuryu paused, then nodded.

"And I take it your mother is still around, Kuzuryu-kun?"

The yakuza frowned.  "Yeah, but what about it?"

"You gotta try to understand, then, that it's hard to lose yer mother.  'Specially if she's the only parent you ever got," Hanamura said, slipping into a dialect that Kuzuryu had never heard from the cook before.  "A mother's the first person ya ever know, the first human to ever show you love.  Losing that is devastatin'.  It ain't a pain that heals easy, and sometimes you just gotta rely on someone who's been through the same."

Kuzuryu considered what he was saying.  "Wait, so what you're telling me..."

Hanamura grinned, though his eyes shone sadly.  "My mama always was frail, and she worked herself too hard in providin' for us.  Eventually her body just couldn' take it no more.  Sound familiar?"

Kuzuryu stared at his hands, balled into fists on the countertop.  "So that's what Hinata meant when he said you understand him best."

"He said that?  I'm flattered."  He peered at Kuzuryu curiously.  "Did hearin' that make ya jealous?"

Kuzuryu flushed.  "So what if it—"

"'Cause it shouldn't."  Hanamura turned around and picked up a rag to wipe down the bar.  "My bond with Hinata-kun ain't one to be envied, Kuzuryu-kun."

Silence fell in the pub, Kuzuryu mulling over what he had learned as he watched Hanamura clean up.  That kind of common ground... definitely wasn't to be envied, that was true.  He knew what it was like to lose a sister, and losing a mother had to be similar... but different.  Kuzuryu didn't know that difference.  Logically speaking, he should be glad that he didn't.

But there was still a part of him that still hated that Hanamura could connect with Hinata on a level that he couldn't.

He watched Hanamura work, grinding his teeth in irritation.  "Don't you think it's a waste?" he finally spat out.

Hanamura paused, dropping the rag as he turned to look at Kuzuryu.  "What is?"

"You, being here in this dead-end town, running some trashy pub."  Kuzuryu gestured vaguely at the dining room behind him.  "Don't you think your mom would have wanted better for you?"

"Ahh."  Hanamura folded his arms, giving an understanding grin.  "Yer right, in a way.  I actually studied French cuisine in school, 'n always did want a place that was a bit fancier than this.  Don't go thinkin' I'll forgive ya calling my restaurant trashy, though."

Kuzuryu scoffed.  "Whatever.  So what the hell are you doing?  Did you just give up?"

"Hmm..."  Hanamura returned to cleaning.  "I didn't give up, 'zactly, just kinda put it on hold fer a bit.  Wanted a good job once I got done wit' school so I could give Mama a better life, but I just couldn' find anything I was happy wit', and then her health failed."

"So you stopped trying?"

Hanamura tapped a finger against the counter thoughtfully.  "Well... It's like this.  At the funeral, I reconnected wit' a cousin I hadn't seen in ages.  Turns out he knew a guy who knew a guy who was tryin' ta sell this property in some sleepy place called Kibougaoka.  Not in the city proper, but close."  He grinned.  "Trouble is the clientele ain't really lookin' for a fine dining experience here.  Gotta cater to demand."

Kuzuryu frowned.  "So you're settling for less because it's easier."

"Now that's just makin' it sound bad.  The way I see it..."  Hanamura paused, then laid a hand on the countertop, looking down at the granite wistfully.  "This place?  In a roundabout kinda way... it's sorta like the last gift Mama gave to me."  He looked back at Kuzuryu, a small smile in place.  "It's not where I wanna be forever, but for now... I just kinda wanna hold on to this gift."

Kuzuryu stared at him for a moment before turning away with a huff, letting Hanamura return to his cleaning.  That kind of thinking... Kuzuryu really didn't like it.  It just screamed of being half-assed in life, and he couldn't stand seeing people letting themselves waste away like that.

When he heard rationalizations like that, though... he was starting to think that maybe, sometimes, it wasn't always so bad.

* * *

"You know, there's one thing you still haven't told me," Kuzuryu had said their last night in Hakone, curled up beside Hinata in post-coital warmth.

Hinata gave a wry chuckle and turned to face him, propping himself up on an elbow.  "I'm sure there's more than just one.  But what do you want to know?"

Kuzuryu paused to think back, hoping he could remember enough so that he wouldn't sound stupid.  "Nanami asked you something the other day, in the koban... fuck, I can't really remember...  Something about comparative or something?"  So much for not sounding like an idiot.

"Oh, that."  Hinata averted his eyes awkwardly, and Kuzuryu noted with interest how red his boyfriend's cheeks were turning.  "That's, well..."

"Yeah?"

Hinata huffed out a sigh, still not quite meeting Kuzuryu's gaze.  "She was asking if I'm 'happier' or 'happiest'... being with you.  Comparative or superlative form."

"Oh."  Kuzuryu felt his own cheeks growing warm as he fully absorbed the meaning of the words.  "What the fuck?  Shit, that's so embarr..."  He trailed off, then suddenly shot up onto his elbows, pinning Hinata with a glare.  "Wait a fucking second, you said it _wasn't_ superlative!"

Hinata ran a hand down his face, eyebrows knitting together.  "Kuzuryu—"

"What, so I'm not good enough for superlative?!"

"I said comparatively superlative."

"And that still makes no fucking sense!"

"Kuzuryu, would you just listen to me?"

If he were to be truthful, Kuzuryu was kicking up a fuss mostly just to be contrary, so he shut up with a huff and let himself flop back down onto the futon.  "Fine.  Explain yourself, then."

Hinata bit his bottom lip, apparently taking a moment to gather his thoughts before starting to speak.  "Well, it's like... I mean, I'm definitely happier being with you than with anyone else.  That's what I mean by comparatively superlative."

Kuzuryu knew his cheeks must be turning an impressive shade of red, but he resolutely kept a frown in place.  "You just don't have the backbone to commit to using straight-up superlative, then?"

"That's not..."  Hinata paused and made a sort of grasping motion in the air with his hands, as if he were trying to physically grab on to the point he was trying to make.  "It's just that superlative is so... _superlative_.  It's an extreme, and there's nothing beyond it.  In other words, reaching superlative means you've reached the end."  He averted his gaze, color flooding his cheeks, and rubbed at his neck in a show of awkwardness.  "So... I don't want to reach superlative with you.  Ever."

For a long moment, Kuzuryu just stared at Hinata.  He stared, turning his words over in his mind, fully processing them...

...and then covered his face, rolled onto his other side, and let out a loud groan.

"Kuzuryu?!" he heard Hinata from behind him.  "Are you all right?  Are you hurt somewhere?"

"Yeah, _my entire being_ is in pain from how embarrassing you are!" Kuzuryu exclaimed, rolling back towards Hinata but keeping his burning face hidden.  "Shit, I bet even my _ancestors_ can feel the secondhand embarrassment right now!  How can you even say stuff like that without wanting to die on the inside?!"

"You're the one who made me say it!"

"I didn't know you'd take the opportunity to be such a fucking _sap_!"

Hinata made a flustered sort of huffing sound before responding, "I was just telling the truth, though."

Letting out a sigh, Kuzuryu peeked through his fingers up at his boyfriend, then in a single motion shot out a hand and placed it at the nape of Hinata's neck, pulling him close.  "Look," he muttered, hoping he came across as at least a _little_ menacing even as the tips of their noses ghosted against each other.  "Half-assed shit like that?  I hate it.  You've gotta either go big or go home."

"I know."

"If you spend your life shying away from extremes, you're nothing but a fucking coward."

"Right."

Kuzuryu took a deep breath, trying to calm the raw emotions bubbling up in his chest.  "But on this point, at least," he said, "I guess I can settle for just comparatively superlative."

Hinata laughed softly, his breath a gentle caress against Kuzuryu's lips, before the distance was closed between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! I've finally finished up this holiday mini-arc... and it's late March whAT HAPPENED (didn't this happen last year too???)
> 
> The next chapter or two will be a collection of side stories, in order to give myself some time to do research for the next storyarc! Hopefully I can get back to my once-a-month posting schedule that way...


	16. Short Story Collection 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's September 17 HAPPY KUZUHINA DAY!!
> 
> So... I could write 70k words just explaining everything that's been going on in my life that's had me unable to write for the past half a year, but I'm not gonna do that. Instead, here's a new chapter, and I'm so sorry it took so long!
> 
> Well, I say "chapter," but it's actually just three short side stories. I had planned to finish and post these last year before the winter mini-arc (which is chronologically when they take place, except for the first one), but that didn't happen... and I think they turned out better for it anyway!
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Ruruka Andoh**

* * *

When Hinata hung out with Kuzuryu, they tended to head further into the city.  Kuzuryu had made it no secret how little he thought of Kibougaoka, after all—and besides, it _was_ true that there wasn't much in the way of things to do in the sleepy neighborhood.  Every once in a while, though, if they were short on free time or if taking the inbound train was too much of a hassle, they would simply spend time walking around Kibougaoka, Hinata pointing out the local businesses and landmarks as they went.

On one of those days, they had taken a different route than usual, strolling down a street closer to the high school and residential area than the other businesses.  During a lull in conversation, Hinata was walking in comfortable silence with Kuzuryu by his side... until he realized that he _wasn't_.  Puzzled, Hinata stopped and turned around to see that Kuzuryu had paused a few paces back.  "What's up?" he asked.

The shorter man didn't answer immediately, his brows slightly furrowed as he stared at the storefront next to him.  "You never mentioned that there was a sweets shop around here," he said finally.

"A swee—"  Hinata trailed off as he walked over and noticed exactly which store had caught Kuzuryu's attention.  "Oh.  Right..."  Internally, he knew he should probably drag Kuzuryu away as soon as possible—Hinata had suddenly remembered why he _didn't_ usually venture along that particular street—but he found himself held back by a question he found more pressing at the moment.  "You like sweets, Kuzuryu?"

Kuzuruyu glared up at him.  "You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all!" he responded, holding his hands up defensively.  "I just— That's just something I didn't know about you, so..."

"Oh, Hinata!"

Suddenly there was a weight thrust upon his side, his arm captured in a hold, and Hinata tried his best not to groan.  Instead, he turned to greet the woman who had just latched herself onto him.  "Hi, Andoh."

"It's been so long since you last came by!" the confectioner cooed, her tone dripping with a sweetness punctuated rather aptly with the distinct scent of bubblegum on her breath.  "Are you finally going to offer to walk me home tonight?  It's getting so dark out _so_ early now, surely you won't just leave a poor thing like me to fend for myself?"

"This _is_ your home.  You don't need an escort to the second floor."

"I meant walk me home from Kagayaki!  It's been a while since I dropped by there, so I was thinking of heading over tonight."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Andoh," Hinata smiled, extricating himself from her grip as quickly yet politely as he could manage.  "It's only two blocks away, and you know there's really no crime to speak of here..."  He glanced in Kuzuryu's direction then, remembering with some irony that, oh yeah, there _was_ technically a criminal in their midst... but the yakuza's comically bewildered expression was candid enough to convince anyone otherwise.  Hinata shot him an exasperated grin.  "Kuzuryu, you haven't met her yet, have you?  This is Ruruka Andoh, she owns this confectionery..."

"Oh, who is this?" Andoh leaned towards Kuzuryu to study him critically, her strawberry-blonde bob cut shifting with the motion.  "Hmm... Are you new around here?"

"Uh, yeah," Kuzuryu answered, looking somewhat apprehensive in the face of her attention—which was a perfectly reasonable reaction to have to Ruruka Andoh, Hinata thought.  She had a tendency to try to take advantage of any single guy she could latch onto.  "The name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu."

Andoh hummed thoughtfully, blowing a bubble with her chewing gum as she stood up straight again.  "Well, why don't you both come inside for a bit?  Take a look around!"

"Uh, thank you, but I think we'll be heading on..."

"Wait."  Kuzuryu grabbed Hinata's sleeve, causing the cop to stop on a dime.  "I want to— I mean..."  He frowned sourly, but the light dusting of pink across his cheekbones betrayed his bashfulness.  Hinata tried not to stare.  "Why the fuck _shouldn't_ we take a look, right?  I mean, just because we're here and shit.  That's all."

It really wasn't necessary for Kuzuryu to try to make excuses, though, because when faced with _that_ expression, Hinata found himself willing to do whatever Kuzuryu asked of him at that moment.

"Yeah, okay," he answered easily.  "Let's go on in, then."

He didn't even care that Andoh could be hard to take, because somehow the discovery that _Kuzuryu had a weakness for sweets_ was enough to make it all worth it.

"Well, come on in, boys."  Andoh opened the door to the bakery and they followed her inside, the sweet scent of freshly-baked goods wafting over them as they crossed the threshold.  Hinata watched with a tinge of amusement as Kuzuryu looked the store over, inspecting displays of cakes, candies, and sweet breads.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Andoh keeping a careful eye on the blond from her place behind a chilled display of eclairs and macarons, and a sudden wave of some unidentified emotion urged Hinata to step between them.  Andoh raised an eyebrow at him, but Hinata didn't respond, instead pretending to be particularly interested in a jar of brightly-wrapped caramels.

"You make mostly western pastries?" Kuzuryu asked after a few moments.

Andoh turned away from Hinata with a roll of her eyes.  "Something like that," she answered, cracking her bubblegum thoughtfully.  "I mean, they're just cuter, you know?  I do make some wagashi just to meet demand—" she jerked her head in the direction of a shelf tucked off to the side, displaying a small selection of manju, monaka, and dorayaki "—but Japanese sweets are just so bland and _earthy_.  And red bean paste is just boring."

"I'm not sure you should be talking that way about your own culture," Hinata laughed nervously.

The confectioner only shrugged.  "Whatever.  But anyway," she turned to address Kuzuryu again, "you got something you're looking for in particular?"

The yakuza bristled visibly.  "What makes you think I am?"

She rolled her eyes at the defensive reaction.  "Oh come on.  Look, if there's something you like, I'll consider making it.  Like I said, I cater to demand."  She jabbed her thumb in Hinata's direction.  "I mean, I've started making kusamochi when mugwort is in season, just because it's the only way I can get this kid to come around."

"Wha—"  Hinata flushed.  "What do you mean you— I never asked that of you!"

Andoh grinned sweetly, the very picture of innocent curiosity.  "So spill it.  What's your poison?  Dango?  Daifuku?  Yokan?"

Kuzuryu didn't answer immediately, his cheeks growing pinker as he frowned at Andoh.  As he watched the yakuza's flush deepen, Hinata found himself needing to know _exactly_ what Kuzuryu's favorite sweet was, too.

"So?" Andoh needled.

Kuzuryu huffed, glanced in Hinata's direction, then sighed.  "How about... Look, I really like karinto, all right?"

"Oh, gross."  Andoh's face fell.  "Yeah, sorry, but I'm not gonna make food that looks like dog shit."

Kuzuryu instantly bristled, piercing the woman with a fierce glare.  "What the _fuck_ did you just say about karinto?"

Suddenly Hinata wasn't comfortable at all being between the two of them, directly in the path of their mutually combative auras.  He floundered to try to find some way to alleviate the situation, but nothing was coming to mind.

"I said it looks like _dog shit_ ," Andoh repeated matter-of-factly.  "It's probably the worst pastry in terms of aesthetics, and I'm not gonna taint my reputation by making something so vile.  Sorry, hon."

"Who gives a _fuck_ how it looks?!  It's the taste that matters!"

"I mean sure, it tastes fine, but I'm not gonna spend my time making a food that I'd be ashamed to put on display.  I'd feel bad for my customers having to even _look_ at such an eyesore of a sweet."

"Why you—"

"Kuzuryu!"  Hinata stepped towards the gangster, blocking him from advancing on the woman.  "Look, it's not that big of a deal—"

"The _fuck_ it isn't!  Do you hear what she's saying about karinto?!"

Hinata tried his very hardest not to laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation—a yakuza getting incensed over an insult towards his favorite dessert.  "Yeah, I get it, I like karinto too," he said in a rush, afraid of letting a chuckle escape.  "So let's just go get karinto somewhere else, all right?"

Kuzuryu glowered up at him.  "That's not the issue here!  The issue is that _this bitch_ —"

" _Excuse_ me?!"

"I think it's time for us to leave!" Hinata announced, grabbing Kuzuryu by the shoulder and swiftly guiding him towards the door.  "Thanks for letting us take a look around, Andoh, we'll see you— er, I mean... bye!"

After scrambling out the door and further down the street, safely out of ear-shot, Hinata stopped and sighed, glancing down at Kuzuryu.  He gave a weak grin.  "So, uh... Andoh can be pretty hard to take."

"Yeah no shit," Kuzuryu scoffed, removing his shoulder from Hinata's grip with a swift jerk.  "Like... fuck, I'm still pissed."

Hinata laughed.  "Sorry about that.  Um... wanna go to the convenience store, then?"  He pointed in the general direction of the store the next block over.  "I'll buy you some karinto there if you want."

The yakuza's gaze flashed dangerously.  "You better not be making fun of me, asshole!"

"I'm not!" Hinata insisted, raising his hands defensively.  And really, he wasn't making fun of Kuzuryu.

But maybe his choice of favorite food was _kind of_ cute.

 

* * *

**Teruteru Hanamura**

* * *

"So, you and Kuzuryu-kun are an item now, hmm?"

Hinata nearly choked on his beer and looked wearily at Hanamura from over the rim, eyes watering slightly.  Kuzuryu wasn't able to make it to Kagayaki that night, so Hinata had opted to sit at the bar with Hanamura again, and apparently the cook was taking the opportunity to grill him with questions.  "How did—"  He coughed a bit to clear his windpipe, then began again.  "What gives you that idea...?"

"Oh come now, Hinata-kun."  Hanamura flipped his hair back, grinning haughtily.  "Surely you didn't think you could keep such a thing from a connoisseur of love and passion such as _moi_?"

"Right, sure."  Hinata sighed and placed his beer back on the counter.  "Fine, you got us.  Just don't go telling everyone, all right?"

"Oh, but a love such as this should be yelled from the rooftops!"

"Hanamura, seriously."  Hinata leaned over to grab the cook's shoulder, trying not to panic.  "Just think about it.  I'm a cop, in a relationship with—" _a yakuza_ "—a man.  That will _not_ go over well.  Please."

"Really?  You know there's that stereotype about gay cops..."

" _Please._ "

Hanamura frowned, clearly upset about a damper being put on his fun, but he didn't argue any further.  "Fine, my lips are sealed.  But you better let me in on all the details!"

"Details?"  Hinata drummed his fingertips against the beer glass nervously.  "Uh, I'm definitely not promising anything, but what do you mean exactly?"

"You know, _details_ ," Hanamura supplied helpfully.  "This is your first relationship in a while, right?  Keep me updated on how you're doing!  So how long have you two been dating now?  A week?"

"A... little over a week, yeah," Hinata confirmed, somewhat unnerved by how accurate Hanamura's guess had been.

"And how far have you two gotten?"  The cook waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Hinata felt his face flush.  "Um, we've been going out for a _week_ ," he retorted in a harsh hiss.

"Ohoho?"  Hanamura smirked up at him.  "Now what might _you_ be thinking of, Hinata-kun?  I didn't mention anything specific, did I?"

Cheeks warming further, Hinata pointedly turned his attention back to his beer.  "Oh, shut it.  I just know how your mind works is all."

"Well, I can't deny that," Hanamura responded, giving an exaggerated shrug.  "I'm a truthful man!  But don't worry, I know you wouldn't move that fast.  Not without a significant amount of alcohol in you, at least."

Hinata buried his face in his hands, mortified.  "Please don't remind me of that."

"Right, but for real..."  Hearing Hanamura's voice dip into a more serious timbre, Hinata peeked through his fingers to see the cook leaning against the counter again, looking directly at him.  "I just wanted to make sure you're not stuck in such an awkward haze of bliss that you haven't even bothered to do more than hold hands like a pair of schoolkids."

Hinata dropped his hands, mild irritation creeping up on him in response to Hanamura's needling.  "Are you kidding me?  Do you really think I would..."  He trailed off as he thought back over the previous week; he and Kuzuryu had gone on a few "dates," but thinking on it now, they really weren't that much different from their outings as friends.  The only real difference was the comforting cloud of acknowledged mutual attraction surrounding them, and that change was significant enough that Hinata hadn't really concerned himself with—

Oh god _Hanamura was right_.

Having apparently read Hinata's expression, Hanamura clicked his tongue.  "I was afraid of that."  He sighed and shook his head.  "Don't tell me that you two haven't even kissed yet?"

"We have!" Hinata protested—then, noticing he was speaking louder than was entirely necessary for the situation, lowered his voice.  "I mean... we kissed when I asked him out.  So there's that."

"And since then?"

Hinata pointedly focused his attention on ingesting more beer into his body.

"Hinata-kun..."

"Look, the opportunity just hasn't come up, I guess."  Hinata placed his empty glass back on the counter and shrugged.  "Or rather, I guess I haven't really gotten the sense that he _wants_ to kiss me again... Maybe I'm just a bad kisser?"

"Oh no, you're pretty decent."

"Seriously, _stop_."

As Hanamura grinned cheekily, Hinata mulled over the situation in his head.  He hadn't really given it much thought, which was strange, since he had realized his feelings for Kuzuryu precisely _because_ of a fiercely strong desire to kiss the yakuza heir.  But once they were officially together, just as the cook had suggested, he was content just to be with Kuzuryu, to have him by his side.

Though some kissing _would_ definitely be nice...

"Hinata-kun, how tall were you when you went out with your high school girlfriend?"

Hinata looked up and blinked owlishly at Hanamura, taken aback by the unexpected question.  "How... tall was I?  Uh..."  He wasn't honestly sure.  How was he supposed to remember his height at a specific given point of adolescence?  His mom had marked his growth on a doorjamb at their home, now that he thought of it, but... had he even bothered to record what was on there before selling off the apartment?

He swallowed back the melancholy of lost family history.  Either way, it wasn't going to help him answer the immediate question.  "Well... I passed Nanami in height a year or two earlier, so I guess I was in the 160s around then?  Maybe around 170 centimeters by the time we broke up... why?"

Hanamura nodded pensively.  "I see.  So this is the first time you're significantly taller than your partner..."

"You're losing me here, Hanamura."

The cook sighed and gave an exaggerated shrug.  "I sympathize with him, you know?  It's tough when your partner is freakishly tall.  Of course, unlike Kuzuryu-kun, I have the skills and experience to overcome such an obstacle."

"I'm not _freakishly_ tall, I— hold on!"  Hinata struggled to keep up with Hanamura's train of thought.  "What does my height have anything to do with this?"

"Just think about it," Hanamura chided.  "You say you haven't gotten any sense that he _wants_ to kiss, but is that true?  Or have you just been missing those signals because you haven't gotten down to his level to see?"

Hinata gaped at him.  "That's ridiculous."

"It's _logical_ ," Hanamura countered.  "What _is_ ridiculous is that you even need it pointed out to you."

Hinata covered his face with his hands and sighed.  What Hanamura was saying _did_ seem to make some logical sense—and it was true that Kuzuryu had needed to tug him by the necktie to kiss him before.  And it was also true that Hinata shouldn't have needed someone else to point it out.

Which basically boiled down to Hanamura being right all-around.  God, that made it even more mortifying.

"Remind me not to talk to you about my relationship ever again," Hinata finally groaned.

Hanamura chuckled.  "So does that mean I won't be getting the juicy updates later?"

"No way in _hell_."

* * *

The next day at the koban, Hinata couldn't keep his mind off of what Hanamura had said.

Usually, when Kuzuryu dropped into the koban to hang out, Hinata didn't find it terribly distracting; on the contrary, it was rather calming to have his boyfriend sitting across the desk, the comforting silence broken only by the occasional small talk as Hinata worked on paperwork or whatever tasks he had to take care of.

After what Hanamura had said, though...  Hinata glanced up from his work at Kuzuryu, who was sipping from a cup of hot chocolate he had brought in.  His eyes followed the line of Kuzuryu's mouth, watching as he pulled the cup away and his tongue darted out to lick away a few lingering drops of cocoa.  Hinata's eyes lingered on his lips, imagining what it would be like to meet them with his own.

It was _unbearably_ tempting to lean out and see for himself.

Kuzuryu's gaze caught his own then, and the yakuza raised an eyebrow quizzically.  "What?"

"Oh, uh...!"  Hinata shook his head to clear it of any impure thoughts, though he could feel his face heating up despite the action.  "Nothing, I just... nothing."

What was he doing?  Kirigiri might be out on patrol, leaving him alone with his boyfriend, but he _was_ at work.  It wasn't the place nor the time for those sorts of thoughts.

He noticed with some degree of horror that Kuzuryu was still staring at him, those golden eyes boring holes through his resolve.  Hinata stared resolutely down at the paperwork before him and forced himself to comprehend the words written there.

He pushed on with his work, signing forms where needed, and only jumped a tiny bit when Kuzuryu's fingers found his left hand sitting idly on the desk.  He smiled gently and let their fingers twine together, enjoying the warm, familiar contact.  Moments like these were some of Hinata's favorites; intimate, but casual and nonchalant.  It was usually enough to mollify all the burning emotions he felt for the yakuza heir—which was probably why he hadn't gone out of his way to kiss him.  This time, though, it was doing the opposite, making Hinata crave for more.

He glanced up at Kuzuryu again, and their gazes met by accident.  Kuzuryu started, his cheeks growing a soft pink, and he looked away self-consciously.  "What are you staring for, dumbass?"

"You were the one staring," Hinata laughed, rubbing a gentle thumb against Kuzuryu's hand.  He watched, enamored, as Kuzuryu's cheeks grew redder.

God, he was adorable.  Hinata could never get away with saying that out loud, but it was all he could think whenever he saw Kuzuryu with such an expression.

Entranced, Hinata reached out his right hand and softly placed it along Kuzuryu's jawline, and the blond started, looking back at Hinata with eyes wide.

Hinata hadn't even realized he had put down his pen; the touch had been completely on instinct, but after pulling it back slightly, second-guessing himself, he returned it to Kuzuryu's cheek, cupping it gently.

Kuzuryu, for his part, relaxed into the touch, and leaned forward just the tiniest bit.  His gaze seemed to speak volumes, and Hinata had to wonder if he had been missing the message all that time.  Had he really just not noticed?

Had Kuzuryu been wanting this from the start?

He hesitated for a moment, studying Kuzuryu's face as he moved forward slowly.  Their faces had been this close several times before, their breath mingling together, but sure enough, Hinata had never really taken the time to look at Kuzuryu like this; he had always been too flustered, or too out of it, to think of really drinking in the view.

Gosh, he had a lot of freckles.  Kuzuryu had youthful features to begin with, but the dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks only served to accentuate it all the more.  Hinata rubbed his thumb gently against the side of Kuzuryu's cheek, right where the speckles began to fade away, and moved in...

...and placed a light kiss atop a lone freckle on the tip of Kuzuryu's nose.

Kuzuryu's eyes snapped open, bewilderment and a little bit of aggravation reflected clearly in the golden depths.  "Seriously?" he said, his voice lilting with an unmistakable twinge of anger.  "You finally make a move, and you kiss my _nose_?!"

"Uhh..."  Hinata gave a sheepish half-smile and leaned back slowly.

"No, stop."  Kuzuryu grabbed Hinata's hand as he tried to move it away from his face, trapping him from escaping their proximity.  "What the fuck was that, Hinata?"

Hinata could feel the heat rising up his neck to his cheeks, and in lieu of moving away physically, he averted his eyes.  "I'm at work, Kuzuryu, we shouldn't—"

"Oh, bullshit."  Kuzuryu let go of Hinata's hand only to grab onto his shirt collar, lightly jerking him back to face him.  "We're alone for at least another hour, I think we can fit in a kiss or two."

"Right, uh..."  Hinata glanced around the room nervously, feeling too embarrassed and ashamed to look Kuzuryu in the eye.  It wasn't that he had chickened out of meeting Kuzuryu's lips, really, he had just found Kuzuryu's freckles so endearing... but it did seem like a ridiculous move to make, in retrospect.  "I mean, since we're in this position anyway, feel free to move in and kiss me if you want..."

Kuzuryu's frown only deepened at those words, though Hinata noted a slight reddening of his cheeks.  "Be a fucking man, Hinata.   _You're_ the one who started this, now you better follow through."

"... Right, okay."  Hinata sat up straight and released his shirt from Kuzuryu's grip, taking a moment to smooth it out before facing Kuzuryu directly, fighting down the butterflies in his stomach.  "Okay.  Here goes."

He raised his hand to cup Kuzuryu's cheek again and leaned forward, watching as Kuzuryu's eyes drifted closed, his cheeks flushed a deep pink.  It didn't feel entirely right to Hinata, kissing Kuzuryu in direct response to being ordered to.  It was too calculated, too scripted.  This wasn't really how he wanted to kiss Kuzuryu.

But he definitely didn't want to _not_ kiss Kuzuryu.

So at the last moment, he dipped his head slightly and placed a light peck at the mole at the corner of Kuzuryu's lips.

The glare Kuzuryu pinned him with in the next instant was just a shade softer than positively murderous, and Hinata breathed out a quiet laugh before shifting and capturing Kuzuryu's lips in his own.

Hinata couldn't help but smile when the yakuza froze in surprise before melting into the kiss.  Kuzuryu reached up and grabbed at Hinata's lapels, pulling him closer—which resulted in Hinata bumping somewhat uncomfortably against the desk, but he responded by shifting slightly so that his head was angled to allow better access, less bumping noses together.

Hinata's breath caught when he felt Kuzuryu's tongue experimentally trace the line of his mouth, and after a moment's hesitation, he parted his lips to allow him entrance.  Kuzuryu tasted faintly of cocoa—which totally made sense, he had been drinking hot chocolate after all, but _wow_ that was a sensation Hinata hadn't thought to be prepared for, and it nearly set him reeling, his head swimming, and he had to consciously remind himself to breathe through his nose before he fainted.

Oh god.  Oh _wow_.

It was a completely different kiss from the quick, insistent one they had shared the night he had confessed.  This one was slow and playful and full of need, and it was absolutely intoxicating.

Hinata had to be careful or he might get addicted.  (Maybe he already was.)

Kuzuryu was the first to pull away, and Hinata was mortified to hear himself make an involuntary sound in his throat that sounded dangerously close to a whine.  The yakuza smirked and clapped a hand against Hinata's shoulder, pushing him away.  "Get back to work, you slacker.  The fuck are you doing, kissing a yakuza in your koban?"

Hinata wanted to bite out a retort that _Kuzuryu had been the one to insist on it_ , but when he opened his mouth all that came out was a laugh, and he shook his head, returning his focus to the faintly crumpled paperwork in front of him.

As he worked, he ran through the route to Kagayaki in his mind, trying to figure out the most secluded spot where they could kiss each other senseless later that evening.

 

* * *

**Makoto Naegi**

* * *

Sometimes, Naegi couldn't help but bemoan his rotten luck.

The video rental store had been a pretty good job.  It hadn't been the most exciting, of course, but at least it was rarely stressful, and above all, it fit into his schedule well.  It was a nice little gig to fill his weekends.

But after accidentally knocking over an entire display of difficult-to-replace VHS tapes one too many times, he had found himself less one job.  Again.  He couldn't really afford to not have a third job, especially with the winter holidays quickly approaching, so after a few days of interviews he took the first offer he got.

Which was how he found himself working at a karaoke complex.

Naegi wasn't one to complain about the jobs he could manage to get, but he _really_ didn't like working karaoke.

It wasn't his first time working at a such a place, and with his track record, it probably wouldn't be his last.  He was used to the poor lighting, the stuffy hallways, and the constant low hum of bass tracks reverberating through the walls.  None of that was why he didn't like karaoke.

The worst part of the job, by far, was all the makeout sessions he had to break up.

Naegi had very little experience with romance, but he supposed he could understand the allure of making out in a karaoke booth.  The private rooms, the dim lighting, the relatively small space requiring physical closeness...  Considering the human psyche, it made sense that a couple would want to forgo singing in favor of more sensual activities.

But just because he _understood_ didn't mean he was allowed to turn a blind eye to it, and it certainly didn't make it any less humiliating and awkward for Naegi to come between a couple.  If only it got easier with experience, because it certainly did happen frequently enough—the only upside was that he had gotten quite good at pretending to be calling a room simply to offer more services.

Naegi sighed as he stared blankly at the surveillance monitors, and out of the corner of his eye he spotted the telltale movements of a pair of people whose mouths were busy with each other, not the music.  He groaned, deciding to keep that monitor just barely within his peripheral vision for the time being—he had to keep track of the situation, sure, but he was _not_ going to watch any more intently than he had to.  Honestly, he was barely even ten minutes into his shift, and already—

Was that Hinata?

Naegi whipped his head back toward the feed in question, inwardly cringing at how quickly he had gone back on his decision not to stare, but he could have sworn that he actually recognized one of the people and curiosity got the better of him.

He couldn't really tell from the camera angle; the other man (was it a man? ...yes, despite the person's slight frame, the broad shoulders and lack of curves definitely indicated male) was mostly obscuring view of his partner as he pressed close, moving to climb half into the taller man's lap.  Naegi could definitely see some familiar spiky hair peeking over the shorter man's head, though.  Upon closer inspection, in fact, Naegi found that he recognized the curled lines shaved into the smaller man's short hair.  That was definitely the guy that he had seen hanging around the koban whenever he stopped by lately.  He and Hinata had certainly seemed to be on good terms, but...

Were they _dating_?

Hinata had a boyfriend?

Guilt suddenly started to claw at Naegi's insides.  He hadn't known that Hinata had a boyfriend—and that must have been because Hinata didn't _want_ him to know.  He had no business prying into his friends' private lives, yet here he was very possibly watching one of said friends make out with his significant other.

Naegi could feel his face turning beet-red, and he let his eyes wander nervously.  The situation was becoming uncomfortably voyeuristic, and he wanted nothing more than to separate himself from it entirely, but… he was at work.  And it didn't seem like the couple planned to get back to singing any time soon.

Steeling himself, Naegi spun his chair to the side and picked up the closed-circuit phone, hastily dialing the room number.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the couple jump apart in shock on the monitor, and after a brief pause, the taller figure stood up and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

The sound was tinny through the cheap internal connection, but it was unmistakably the voice of Hajime Hinata.

Naegi had no idea what to say; his mouth flapped uselessly as he tried to formulate words, before finally falling back onto one of his business-manner presets.  "Good evening, sirs, did you want to order refills for your drinks?"

The line fell silent, and after a moment Naegi glanced at the monitor to see what was going on.  It didn't seem like much was happening; the blond man was straightening his shirt, looking somewhat miffed, and Hinata was still holding the receiver to his ear, though with his back turned to the camera Naegi couldn't tell his facial expression.

Finally, Hinata responded, voice sounding strained.

"Naegi...?"

Naegi's cheeks burned and he hurriedly hung up the phone, fumbling with the receiver as he tried to place it back in its cradle.  Oh god, breaking up a makeout session was _definitely_ way more awkward when they were _people Naegi actually knew_.

He peeked back over at the surveillance feed; Hinata was staring blankly at the phone receiver in his hand, only hanging it up and turning back around when the blond said something to him.  After exchanging a few words, Hinata pulled out his cell phone and began to fiddle with it while his partner turned his attention to the song request remote.

Seconds later, Naegi felt his own cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

Oh.

He hesitated for a moment before taking it out and unlocking it to read his new text message from one Hajime Hinata.

_> Did you just_

Naegi briefly considered whether it would be better for all parties involved if he played dumb and pretend that he _didn't_ "just," but he quickly decided against it.  He wouldn't be able to feign ignorance for long, and besides, he didn't _want_ to lie.  Grimacing, he tapped out a reply.

_> yeah… sorry.  but if one of my coworkers catches you doing that youll be hit with a nuisance fee and a cleaning fee so please just stick to singing like youre supposed to!!!!_

He peeked at the monitor after sending the message, and felt a bit guilty to see Hinata's face melt into mortification.

_> A cleaning fee?!  Oh my god Naegi we were just_

_> Naegi we weren't!_

Feeling his own face flush in embarrassment, Naegi hurriedly composed a reply.

_> i saw plenty of what you were doing for myself, so you dont have to explain!!_

Two seconds after sending the message, he realized that probably sounded _really_ bad.

_> wait i mean.  theres a camera!  i was just watching because its my job!!!_

_> but just.  youll be fined regardless, sorry!!_

He hit send on the message, thought for a moment, then quickly tapped out one last reply.

_> i have to get back to work but i can point you to some karaoke places that dont have security cameras in the rooms later_

_> NAEGI_

Deciding the conversation was over, Naegi put his phone to sleep and shoved it into his jeans pocket.  For once, he was actually grateful to have such a boring and tedious job to focus on instead.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, when Hinata and his boyfriend's rental time was up, Naegi seriously considered ducking behind the counter and hiding.  That would have been silly, though; they already knew he was there, and besides, he had to process their bill.

As the two men exited the hallway into the front lobby, Naegi offered an uncertain smile.  Hinata approached the counter and stood there silently for a moment, tapping his fingers against the countertop anxiously before breaking the awkward silence.  "So, uh… what job did you lose this time?"

Naegi grimaced, but was grateful that the conversation topic was less uncomfortable than it could have been.  "Video store," he said simply.

"Really?  Damn, you were only there for a couple months."

"Yeah, well…"  Naegi laughed bashfully as he pulled up their invoice on the computer terminal, then paused.  "Um... so are you two splitting the bill, or...?"

Hinata's friendly grin faltered, and he exchanged a glance with the blond man for a moment before turning back to Naegi, a bit flustered.  "Ah... I'll just pay for both of us..."

Naegi nodded mutely as Hinata fished a couple of bills out of his wallet, then looked over at the blond man, bobbing his head in greeting.  "Um... I'm Makoto Naegi.  I don't think I've gotten your name before..."

"Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu," the man answered, peering at him warily.  "You're the delivery kid, aren't you?"

"And the convenience store kid, and now the karaoke kid."  Naegi laughed hollowly and slid Hinata the small tray with his change.  "Um... so if you don't mind me asking, how long have you two...?"

Hinata sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.  "Almost a month now?  And, uh, if you would mind not telling anyone..."

"Of course not!"  Naegi raised his hands defensively.  "I mean, I feel bad enough finding out myself, since you obviously wanted to keep it secret."

"No, it's fine," Hinata assured him, then paused.  "But just so we're clear... please don't say anything about this to Kirigiri either, all right?"

"Kirigiri-san?"  Naegi blinked at him.  "You mean she doesn't know?  She hasn't figured it out herself?"

Hinata made a noncommittal noise in his throat, and behind him, Kuzuryu shrugged.  "Not that I know of," the cop said.  "And, well... I think she'd say something if she did."

Naegi furrowed his brow in thought.  "I mean, sure, I won't tell her anything.  But I don't think she'd have a problem with you dating a man," he said, dropping his voice low enough so that any other passersby wouldn't be able to overhear.

Hinata chuckled wryly.  "I don't think that would be the problem, either."

Unsure of what exactly the problem _could_ be, then, Naegi watched in silence as Hinata pocketed his change and backed away from the counter.

"I'll see you later then, Naegi," Hinata called over his shoulder as he and Kuzuryu headed for the exit.  "Don't get fired from this one too quickly, all right?"

Naegi grinned and waved them out, and once they were out of sight, he turned back to the line of surveillance monitors.

Hopefully the remaining seven hours of his shift wouldn't be nearly as difficult to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed for me to be able to get the next chapter out in a timely manner...! Heh.


	17. Short Story Collection 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I sent this chapter to my beta, I assured her that there wasn't any special occasion deadline I wanted to have this posted for or anything... but incidentally, November 22 is actually "good married couple day" in Japan! Which is treated like "cute and fluffy ship day" in Japanese fandom circles, so let's just say that's why I'm updating this fic today!
> 
> Yeah, so these take place during and directly after the winter mini-arc from last year. Next chapter I'll be back to the main story... I think. The plan might be changing a little bit, but I'll explain more at the end!

* * *

**Chiaki Nanami and Kyoko Kirigiri**

* * *

Of all the buildings in Kibougaoka, the police koban was clearly the most recently renovated—just a single glance at the exterior was enough to make that clear.  However, sound insulation apparently hadn't been a priority when it was constructed.

Which was fine, really.  It made sense that the posted officers should be able to hear any possible disturbance while inside the police station.

Such as the lovers' quarrel raging just outside the door.  Really, it had only made the slightest difference when Hinata and his boyfriend had brought it outside; albeit slightly muffled, Nanami could still hear their yells.

Kirigiri sighed, rubbing her temple in exasperation.  "I'm this close to arresting them both for disrupting the peace."

"Oh, don't do that," Nanami said with a smile.  "Is that even an arrestable offense?  Maybe write them a citation instead."

Kirigiri smirked amicably in Nanami's direction before turning back towards the desk where, in his rush to follow Kuzuryu out the door, Hinata had strewn the papers in a disorganized mess.  As she sorted through the paperwork, she made small talk to drown out the argument outside.  "It's been a while since the last time you visited, Nanami-san.  How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm fine.  Still stuck in QA hell, but a sempai is helping me to hopefully work my way into programming."  Nanami tugged her backpack closer to her body, a subconscious action to ensure that her laptop was secure.  She'd made some progress on her pet project while on the Shinkansen, and she'd have to back it up as soon as she got home.  "How are things going with you, Kirigiri-san?"

"As well as they ever have been, I suppose."

"Hmm..."  Nanami cocked her head to the side, thinking.  "I'm sorry to hear that... I think?  Is that what I should say?"

Kirigiri paused in her movements, then chuckled wryly.  "Impressive.  I can't imagine Hinata-kun would tell you...  You're awfully astute, aren't you?"

"Oh, not at all, I'm just a gamer."

"I see."  Kirigiri finished tidying up the paperwork, then stood upwards and crossed her arms over her chest.  "But it's fine.  I can only be overlooked for so long before—"  She cut herself off when the yells from outside began to crescendo again, prompting both women to look back at the door.

"It sounds like it's going well."

Kirigiri shook her head tiredly.

The door opened after another minute, and Hinata slumped back into the building, looking soundly defeated.  "...I'm back.  Sorry about that," he mumbled.

His apology was punctuated by a sharp rattling noise outside, prompting Hinata to look even more miserable.

"Did he just kick the bike stand," Kirigiri said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah, probably."  Hinata sighed and collapsed into the nearest chair, running his fingers through his hair.  "Shit, I just... this sucks.  What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell him about your mom," Nanami supplied helpfully.

Kirigiri made an understanding humming noise in the back of her throat.  "I see, so _that's_ what you neglected..."

"Wha—" Hinata's head snapped up to look at the women, eyes blazing with residual anger.  "Why are you talking like this was such a simple issue?!  And Sempai, why were you assuming I must have neglected something?  When did you even find out about us?!"

"You clearly skipped a step in your relationship, because it was moving too fast."  Kirigiri twirled a stray strand of silvery hair around a gloved finger as she spoke, the very picture of indifference.  "I figured it out last week that you were going out, but I've known for ages that the two of you were attracted to each other.  Probably since before either of you realized it yourselves."

"Then why—"

"Because you're still weighed down by emotional baggage."  Kirigiri dropped her hair and crossed her arms, staring him down.  "I didn't think you were ready to initiate a relationship and open yourself up to someone else so intimately.  That's why I was surprised to realize you two were _already_ going out, and it's why I concluded that you must have missed something crucial."

Hinata flushed and lowered his gaze.  "Yeah, well... once I realized the truth of how I felt, I didn't really want to turn away from that."

"I see."  Kirigiri tapped her chin thoughtfully.  "Yes, I suppose I overlooked that facet of your personality."

"I also encouraged him to confess," Nanami admitted, raising a hand meekly.  "In retrospect, that might not have been the best idea, I think..."

Hinata shook his head.  "No, it's fine!  These past two months with Kuzuryu... I mean..."  He paused, cheeks reddening further, and Nanami had to suppress the urge to giggle.  Now wasn't the time.  "They've been... good?  I mean, I'm really happy with him, but I..." He sighed and buried his face in his hands.  "Shit.  Did I just ruin all that?  I can't—"

"I really don't get the sense that either of you wants to break up over this," Nanami quickly assured him.  "You just have to talk it out and open up with each other.  Your relationship will be stronger after that, too, I think."

"Hinata-kun."  Kirigiri had a thoughtful look on her face, but Hinata still didn't look up to see it.  "Those days off you requested for this weekend... Were you planning to take a trip with Kuzuryu-kun?"

"A trip?" Nanami gasped, speaking over Hinata as he groaned again.  "You mean an overnight trip?  How bold, Hinata-kun!"

"That's not—!"  Hinata looked up again finally, shaking his hands defensively.  "It's not like... I mean..."  He sighed.  "Well, it probably doesn't even matter now, does it?  I'm not sure it's going to happen anymore..."

"Do you not want to go?" Kirigiri asked bluntly.

"I do, but if Kuzuryu doesn't want to go with me..."

"You should tell him that, I think."  Nanami mustered up the most encouraging smile she could manage.  "If you got into this problem by not talking enough, you should resolve it by clearly telling him what you want.  Let him know that you still want to go on that trip with him."

"We've already filed the paperwork for your time off, so you might as well make use of it."

"And you'll have the opportunity while you're alone to talk out your problems, without anyone else bothering you."

"I got it, I got it," Hinata said irritably, visibly a little intimidated by the barrage of advice.  He pulled out his cell phone and glared down at its screen.  "I'll text him, all right?  Is that good enough for now?"

"Be sure to apologize, too," Nanami pressed.

Hinata bristled at the suggestion, pausing as he scrolled through his phone's apps.  "Why should I have to do that?" he bit out.

"Because you were in the wrong for not saying anything about your family."

"He's in the wrong for keeping secrets from _me_ , too!"

Kirigiri sighed.  "Can you honestly say that that's a surprise?  Surely you knew what you were getting into by dating him."

Nanami tilted her head curiously.  She didn't understand what the senior officer was driving at, exactly... but judging from Hinata's expression of reluctant acquiescence, he had understood perfectly well, and she supposed that was all that mattered.

"I mean, sure," Hinata said, "but still, there are some things he should tell me anyway..."

"In that case, the both of you need to apologize to each other."  Nanami clapped her hands together, pleased at having been able to pick up on that much.  "That still means that an apology from you is in order.  Okay?"

"Fine, fine..."  Hinata ruffled his hand through his hair in frustration, then paused and looked up at the two women, an eyebrow raised.  "Hold on, why am I getting relationship advice from _you_ two?"

Nanami and Kirigiri looked at each other.  "Is there a problem with that?" Kirigiri asked.

"Well, Nanami has only ever dated me," Hinata began, "and Sempai, you just don't strike me as someone who's that interested in romance."

Nanami laughed lightly.  "Hinata-kun, you have it all wrong.  This isn't an issue of romance."

Hinata's face contorted in confusion.  "Uh... what is it, then?"

The two women glanced at each other again, sly grins growing on their faces, before answering him in unison.

"It's common sense."

 

* * *

**Chiaki Nanami**

* * *

It was a bit of a strange feeling, walking to Nanami's house after so many years.  Hinata should have known the route from the train station well enough to walk it with his eyes closed, but it was peppered with unfamiliar landmarks: stores that had changed hands over the years, empty lots that had once been dilapidated apartment buildings, and vending machines that had since been updated with newer models.

It wasn't really the time to be fascinated by his surroundings, though; the sun had set, it was _freezing_ , and he was eager to get inside a warm house and regain feeling in his ears and nose.

He quickly traveled the last half block to Nanami's house, and, swallowing back what residual awkwardness remained over visiting his ex-girlfriend while in a relationship with someone else, he knocked on the door.

He half-expected to be waiting for another minute or two outside the door as Nanami leisurely made her way to the entrance, but mercifully, she swung the door open for him after just a few seconds.  "Happy birthday, Hinata-kun!" she announced, exploding a small party popper but not really extending the effort to lift it in his direction.

"Thanks," he laughed, shaking the confetti off of his shoe before following her into the front hall.  "Though you're a few days late."

"Well, you were spending time with your boyfriend.  I'm not a priority."

"Uhh..." Hinata glanced around the house nervously as he slipped off his shoes, then continued in a whisper.  "Could you not mention the word 'boyfriend' around your dad?  It's kind of..."

"Oh, Dad's not here right now," Nanami responded, waving a hand dismissively.  "He's out buying the cake.  I won't mention it around him, but you know he won't think any less of you for going out with another man, right?"

Hinata chuckled.  "Logically, I'm sure you're right but... I mean, he's the man who taught me how to _shave_ , you know?"

She cocked her head to the side, eyebrows knitted in obvious confusion.  "No, I don't know... Boys are weird."  With a shake of her head, she turned and padded into the adjoining sitting room.  "Come on, let's play games.  Oh, how did your trip go, by the way?  It seems you patched things up pretty well, judging from my discussion with Kuzuryu-kun."

Hinata flushed as he followed her into the room.  "Uh, y-yeah, the trip was really... hold on, that reminds me!"

Nanami turned back towards him, a game case in her hands.  "Hmm?"

"Baby pictures?   _Really?_ "

"Kuzuryu-kun requested collateral."

Hinata's mouth flapped uselessly for a moment; what in the world did _that_ mean?  It certainly sounded like something his boyfriend would say, though, so he put that to the side for the moment.  "Why do you even have those baby pictures anyway?"

"You don't remember?"  Nanami knelt to the floor to begin fiddling with a game system hooked up to the TV.  "When we were cleaning out your mom's place you asked me to hold on to the photo albums for you.  They were too important to keep in rented storage, but too painful to keep yourself."

"Ah... really?"  Now that she mentioned it, Hinata did vaguely remember such an agreement... that time of his life had been such a monotonous blur that he hadn't even considered thinking back on it until recently.  "I guess that did happen.  Okay, then."

Nanami paused, then looked up at him inquisitively.  "You don't mind that I showed him those pictures, do you?"

Hinata laughed.  "No, it's fine."

"Thought so.  Now let's play video games."

As he made his way over to the couch, Hinata looked down at the controllers and other accessories strewn about the coffee table.  "What's this here?"  He picked up a rectangular device with a screen on the front and turned it over in his hands.  "Is this a tablet computer?  It's kind of big and clunky..."

Nanami gave him a withering look, the sort that she could only manage when particularly unimpressed with someone's knowledge of video games.  "It's a GamePad.  Haven't you ever seen a Wii U, Hinata-kun?"

"No, I haven't played games in a few years, so I don't really know these new systems..."

"The Wii U has one foot in the grave, though," Nanami muttered, taking the GamePad from his hands.  "But you remember Smash Brothers at least, right?"

Hinata brightened at the mention of a familiar title.  "Of course I remember.  We played that all the time when we were younger, right?"

"Yeah, and you almost beat me a few times!  It was impressive."

"You say 'impressive,' but doesn't that just mean I never beat you?"

"That's what we're going to play then," Nanami said, ignoring his retort.  "Okay?"

"Yeah, sure."  Hinata settled himself on the couch as Nanami inserted the game disc, and picked up a Wii remote from the table.  "Is this what I use to play?"

"If you're a normie casual, sure."

Hinata sighed; Nanami could get pretty harsh with her words when it came to games.  "What's the alternative, then?  That GamePad thing?"

"Yeah, but you can use the remote, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, I'll just go with this, then..."  He watched Nanami as she walked around and sat next to him, and noticed that the controller she held was neither a remote nor the GamePad.  "Wait, what's that you're holding?"

Nanami looked down as if she hadn't even realized what was in her hands.  "Oh right, the pro controller... that's the other alternative.  Do you want one?"

Hinata blinked rapidly in the face of so many options.  Well, he certainly wasn't a "pro"... and while it had been several years since he played a game on the Wii, he at least vaguely remembered how to use its remote.  It was probably best to hope that muscle memory would kick in.  "Nah, I'll use the remote."

Nanami gave a small smirk, but said nothing more as she pulled up the character roster.

Hinata felt a bit dizzy in the face of all the character options, and had to take a moment to look over them even as Nanami quickly located and chose Jigglypuff, as per her usual.  Eventually, he located Falco and made his selection, pleased that his old go-to character was still on the roster.

Once their characters and stage were selected, Nanami started up the match, and as it loaded, she suddenly spoke up.  "Oh, right.  I should probably tell you."

Hinata glanced at her.  "What?"

"They nerfed Falco."

"What?!"  The countdown was on the screen, and Hinata scrambled to make sure his hands were positioned correctly—it was going to take a bit of experimentation to figure out how to use the character again, especially if he was weaker than before.  "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I just did."

" _Nanami!_ "

"Don't worry, Jigglypuff was nerfed too," she said, even as she easily landed the first hit.

"That's not going to make any difference for you!"

Indeed, Hinata was kept on the defensive for the most part of the match, only just barely managing to deplete one of Jigglypuff's stock before game was called.  They played another match, which went largely the same as the first, and by the third, Hinata had become accustomed enough to Falco's adjustments that he could relax and take the beating from Nanami without expending too much thought—which was how their Smash Brothers games had always gone in the past, come to think of it.

Halfway through another match, with his mind wandering a bit, Hinata had a sudden thought.  "Hey, Nanami?"

She didn't take her attention off the game.  "Hmm?"

"When we were clearing out Mom's place...  Do you remember if I copied down my height chart?  The one on the door jamb?"

Nanami was silent for a while, incessant in beating up Falco on the screen.  "You didn't," she said finally, during a down period after knocking him off the stage and waiting for him to respawn.

"Oh."  Hinata steeled his focus on the game in front of him, determined not to let the disappointment eat at him from the inside.  "Okay then."

"I did, though."

It took a second for Hinata to process the words.  "Wait, what?"

Nanami paused the game; she _never_ paused video games mid-battle, but apparently this was important enough to put everything else to a stop.  Setting down her controller, she stood and began walking across the room, beckoning Hinata to follow suit.

He followed her past the entrance hall and down the hallway, into the room he knew to be her bedroom, and watched as she opened her closet door and began pulling out boxes of limited edition video game boxes.  "Give me a second, it's further back," she said.  "I think."

"What is?"

As soon as he asked the question, Nanami made a pleased sound in the back of her throat and, in lieu of answering, emerged with a nondescript, medium-sized brown box.  She supported it against her old study desk as, with one hand, she opened one of the flaps and pulled a piece of paper from the top.  "Here you go," she said, handing it over to Hinata.

As soon as he accepted it, Hinata realized that it wasn't just one piece of paper; it was several sheets of A4-size paper, taped together and folded neatly.  He began unraveling it and sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the lines and notes, carefully copied down just as they had been at home.  Unfurled to its full length of nearly two meters, Hinata's entire height chart was reproduced in full, albeit in Nanami's loopy handwriting instead of his mother's careful script—but there wasn't really anything that could be done about that.

"Also, I have this," Nanami added, extracting a thumb drive from the box and placing it in Hinata's hand.  "I took pictures of it, so you could still have it in your mother's handwriting.  There are other photos of the apartment on there too."

Hinata gave a shuddering laugh.  "Oh my god.  Why did I ever break up with you?"

"Because our relationship wasn't special as 'lovers' the way yours is with Kuzuryu-kun."

"Right, that."  Hinata chuckled softly again, twirling the thumb drive between his fingers, then turned his gaze toward the brown box.  "What is all that, anyway?"

Nanami shifted the box back into both hands and looked down at it.  "Remember the photo albums I mentioned earlier?  Those are in here, along with all the other things you wanted me to keep safe."  She paused, then looked up at him, and her expression changed almost imperceptibly, as if she had just had a small revelation.  "...But maybe you're ready to take it back now, I think.  So, here."  She held it out.  "Do you want it?"

Hinata looked down at the proffered box.  A box full of mementos of his mother... It was true that he had been such a wreck after her death that he had needed to focus all of his energy on getting himself back on his feet, on making sure his academics and career were in order... _Not that that really worked out anyway,_ he thought wryly.  But now... well, it wasn't like his life was better by any metric he had considered important at the time, but still.

"Yeah," he said breathily.  "Yeah, I'll take it back now."

Nanami smiled and placed the box in Hinata's outstretched hands.  "Happy birthday, Hinata-kun."

He laughed, and as he took the box fully in his grasp, it felt like he was shedding a weight instead of the opposite.

"Not all of the stuff in there is particularly useful," Nanami noted as Hinata opened the box to explore its contents.  "But I didn't want to risk throwing away anything you might regret not having later."

"Yeah, I get that," he said.  Among the photo albums were some of his mother's favorite novels, a few pieces of childhood art, and a small file of five-years-outdated coupon clippings—that must have been what Nanami meant by "not particularly useful."  But at the same time, seeing the coupons caused a bittersweet sort of emotion to flood his chest—it had been hard to for his mother to support him on her own, but she had still done her best using whatever resources she could.  And all things considered... maybe he _had_ turned out pretty well.

Mostly everything in the box was familiar to Hinata, knickknacks that he would have normally overlooked at home but filled him with nostalgia to see again.  Then he noticed an item that _wasn't_ familiar—tucked against the side was a thin, white, oblong box.

"What's this?" he muttered, pulling it out to see a single word written on the corner of the lid, in his mother's handwriting.

_Hajime_

"Ah."  Nanami leaned over, bowing her head slightly, and plucked the box back out of Hinata's grasp.  "Sorry, that... I don't think you should have that yet."

"What?"  Hinata was surprised—at how quickly anger could bubble up inside him for being denied something he never even knew he wanted, and also by the idea that it would be caused by Chiaki Nanami.  "Why not?!  That's for me, isn't it?  It's something Mom left for me?!"

"Yes, but..."  Nanami cradled the box close to her chest, almost seeming to shrink inward on herself.  "I'm sorry, Hinata-kun.  I don't think you're ready to have this yet, so... I'll keep it safe until the time comes, okay?"

Hinata's mind was a whirl, and he had to fight himself not to make a fuss like a toddler who couldn't have his favorite toy.  "What do you mean I'm not ready?  I'm okay to have the rest of this stuff, but not that?!"

Nanami shook her head.  "You've definitely made progress, but this... it would only hurt you more if you saw what's in this right now, I think."

He sighed, frustrated, but the logical part of his mind trusted that Nanami would only act in his best interests.  If she said he wasn't ready to take that white box, then it was probably true.

"You'll give it to me once I'm ready?" he asked, trying not to let unease slip into his voice.

"Of course," Nanami confirmed, smiling softly.  "Your mother left it for you.  I wouldn't keep it any longer than necessary."

As she moved to place the box inside her desk drawer, Hinata heard the front door open down the hall.  "I'm home!" came a man's voice.

"Oh, Dad's back."  Shutting the desk drawer closed, Nanami called back to him.  "Welcome home!  We'll be right there!"

As he followed Nanami out the door, Hinata's gaze was drawn to the drawer, feeling the tug of temptation urging him to go and take the box for himself... but with conscious effort, he tore his eyes away and left the room.

It wasn't for forever.  He had gone five years without even knowing it existed; he could wait a little longer, until he fulfilled whatever qualifications Nanami deemed necessary to receive it.

In the meantime, he still had all the rest of his mother's treasures right in his arms.  He had good friends waiting to celebrate with him just down the hall.  And somewhere else in the city, there was the man he loved, who loved him in return.

It had been a bit of a journey to get there, and he still had a ways to go, but in that moment, Hajime Hinata was truly blessed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For whatever reason, I tend to like Danganronpa boys better than the girls, but when I write things like this it's like, gosh, these ladies are so good though? They are such treasures...
> 
> Thanks as always to CSakuraS for betaing this entire chapter, but I also need to thank my youngest brother for being an extra pair of eyes for the Smash Bros part! (I suck at that game so bad...)
> 
> And the next chapter... I had planned to be moving on to the next major storyline, but it's not really panning out yet. I wanted to use NaNoWriMo to force myself to power through it without being restrained by technicalities that can be figured out later, but it's still just nowhere close to being a coherent story.
> 
> But I THINK I can have an update for next month, of some sort. I tried experimenting with a short little plotline that I had previously scrapped, and it's working really well, so I may go with that. If not, there are at least some short stories for On the Streets of Kibougaoka that I wrote to pad out my NaNo word count, heh.
> 
> So, I'll see you when I see you!


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